Boko Haram denied that they had agreed to a ceasefire in a new video
obtained on Friday by AFP, describing the Nigerian government claims as a
lie and apparently ruling out future talks. The group's leader,
Abubakar Shekau, also claimed the 219 schoolgirls kidnapped from the
remote northeast town of Chibok, in Borno state, in April had converted
to Islam and been married off.
In addition, Shekau said the
Islamists were holding a German national, who was kidnapped in Adamawa
state, also northeast Nigeria, in July. The video comes after a
surprise Nigerian military and presidency announcement on October 17
that a deal had been reached with the militants to end hostilities.
A
senior presidential aide to Goodluck Jonathan also said agreement had
been reached to free the schoolgirls, whose abduction sparked global
anger and demands for their release.
There was immediate
scepticism about both claims because of previous assertions of
ceasefires and the identity of the purported Boko Haram envoy at the
supposed talks, Danladi Ahmadu.
Violence -- and fresh kidnappings
-- have continued unabated since the announcement, including a triple
bombing of a bus station in the northern city of Gombe on Friday that
killed at least eight. Nigeria's government maintains that talks were ongoing in the Chadian capital, Ndjamena.
But
Shekau, speaking in Hausa, dressed in military fatigues and boots with a
black turban, and flanked by 15 armed fighters, said: "We have not made
ceasefire with anyone...
"We did not negotiate with anyone...
It's a lie. It's a lie. We will not negotiate. What is our business with
negotiation? Allah said we should not."
He also said he did not know Danladi.
AFP
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