Boko Haram leader denies ceasefire in KANO

KANO, Nigeria — The suspected leader of Nigerian Islamist group Boko Haram denies any ceasefire deal with the government in a video obtained Tuesday in which a man accused of being an informant appears to be beheaded on camera.

Abubakar Shekau also makes no mention of kidnappings in the video, including last month's abduction of seven members of a French family in neighbouring Cameroon that was blamed on his group.

It was not clear when or where the video was made. The clip has been distributed to Nigerian journalists in the country's north in recent days through intermediaries.

Sources familiar with Boko Haram say it was handed out in this manner because Nigerian authorities have been blocking the group's videos from being uploaded to YouTube.

AFP could not verify the authenticity of the video but the man speaking closely resembles a person identified in previous clips as Shekau.

There are two separate parts to the video: one of Shekau speaking and another of the apparent beheading. Shekau cannot be seen in the second part.

The video is in part a response to a man claiming to be a Boko Haram commander who has appeared in public several times in recent months calling for dialogue and declaring a ceasefire. - AFP - Google News