Boko Haram leader dispels news about his death on video

Abuja, Sep 26 (IANS) Abubakar Shekau, leader of the Nigerian Jihadist group Boko Haram, re-surfaced on Sunday in a video, apparently in perfect health, to deny he was 'fatally' wounded during a Nigerian army attack, as a military spokesman confirmed in August.

In the video released on YouTube, the Islamist leader, seen with a Boko Haram flag and flanked by two armed, hooded men, read a statement in Arabic, showing no trace of the wounds on his shoulders he supposedly suffered during an air strike carried-out by Nigerian armed forces, EFE news reported.

The Nigerian government has repeatedly announced the death of Shekau, who always replies with videos proving he is still alive.

Shekau replaced Mohamed Yusuf, the founder of Boko Haram executed by the Nigerian government in 2009, and is responsible for the kidnapping hundreds of women and children and forcing over two million people to become refugees.