Be Careful Paul Biya - Boko Haram's Shekau Reappears, Criticises Cameroon 'Lies'

Boko Haram's elusive leader has made his first appearance in months, claiming responsibility for a spate of suicide bombings and rejecting claims scores of his fighters have been killed.

Abubakar Shekau spoke for nearly 20 minutes of a 27-minute video obtained by AFP on Friday, in a trademark pose in front of a sub-machine gun, flanked by two masked militant fighters.

Speaking in the local languages Hausa and Kanuri, as well as Arabic, Shekau said the recording was made on Thursday and that he was "in good health", contrary to claims he may be injured.

But he appeared subdued compared with previous appearances.

Criticising regional leaders, he singled out Cameroon's President Paul Biya, whose government on Wednesday said troops had killed 60 Boko Haram fighters and arrested 21 others in recent weeks.

Government spokesman Issa Tchiroma Bakary also said more than 5,000 civilian "hostages" had been freed in operations along the border with Nigeria from February 27 to March 7.

But Shekau said:

"We fought along the Cameroonian border. You lied that you killed 60 of our fighters, that you arrested 20 of our men, that you freed 5,000 of your people.

"Paul Biya, is it that you can't live off lies? Is it with this that you are going to convince the West, your leaders? It is unfortunate. Be careful, Paul Biya."

Shekau was last seen on camera in a video message in December last year after Nigeria's military claimed it had flushed out Boko Haram fighters from its Sambisa Forest stronghold.

The latest video ends showing militant fighters in combat fatigues with assault rifles and apparently confiscated Cameroon police and army uniforms.

One fighter speaks in heavily-accented French, lending weight to theories that Boko Haram has recruited from parts of Nigeria's Francophone neighbours.