"I cannot die" - Boko Haram leader Shekau appears in video after death claims

Leader of the Boko Haram sect, Abubakur Shekau, who was believed to have been killed after engaging in a shootout with the Nigerian military, about three months ago, was said to have resurfaced, as he spoke on tape on Wednesday, boasting his invincibility and threatening to ground democracy in Nigeria.

Shekau, surrounded by dozens of his lieutenants, all dressed in military fatigues, spoke amid laughter and sarcasm, as he took responsibility for recent attacks in Borno State.

The Boko Haram leader, who spoke while sitting in a bush environment with birds chirping at the background, said his ultimate aim was to ensure democracy ceased to exist in Nigeria.

He also mocked the Nigerian army, as he said group had succeeded in taking possession of three of their armoured tankers, large cache of arms and fleets of military vehicles and troops.

"The world should know that I cannot die except by the will of Allah. I have told you that all that I do is prescribed by the Quran.

"The essence of it is to carry out the injunctions. Don't bother yourselves stopping me because I cannot be stopped.

"The war is more grievous than you think, and it will consume you. I swear by Allah that there will be no democracy in Nigeria.

We are going to rise against it and we shall soon defeat it. The concept of government of the people by the people, for the people cannot continue to exist. It shall soon, very soon, be replaced by government of Allah, by Allah for Allah.

"It was said that I was killed, but here I am; I deliberately refused to respond on time; but here I am talking and laughing at Nigerian authorities, who misled the world that I am dead.

"I believe by now Lieutenant-Colonel Sagir Musa, who issued the statement of my death, should bury his head in shame; President (Goodluck) Jonathan should bury his head in shame; President Barack Obama should bury his head in shame, President François Hollande should bury his head in shame.

"How shameful is it for Nigerian military for a man they called inconsequential to defeat them and seize their tankers and arms? We have celebrated our victory in Monguno, Benisheik and surrounding villages, and we shall not relent until total victory comes our way, by Allah's will," he said.

It will be recalled that the disbanded Joint Task Force (JTF) in Borno State had, on August 9, issued a statement through its spokesman, Lieutenant-Colonel Musa, now spokesman of the Army, 7 Division, that Shekau may have been killed in a military shootout on June 30."