A video purportedly released by the factional leader of insurgent group, Boko Haram, has debunked earlier claims by the military that Abubakar Shekau had been killed or badly wounded in an air strike in August.

A man claiming to be Shekau appeared healthy in the video, speaking in Arabic, Hausa and Kanuri languages.

It is not clear when it was recorded, but the Islamic State terror group, to which Boko Haram has pledged allegiance, had announced that Shekau had been replaced as leader by Abu Musab Albarnawi .

But Shekau has challenged the I.S., insisting that he was still in charge.

Albarnawi, who was the group’s former spokesman, is said to be less aggressive in his operations, compared to Shekau who is mostly seen taunting the government as well as loudly proclaiming threats in his videos.

Major General Lucky Irabor during a tour of Adamawa State as part of the formations under his command earlier in September, had claimed that Shekau had indeed been killed.

It is not the first time that reports have been released by the military, confirming fatal attacks and eventually the death of Abubakar Shekau.

But he seemed to have reincarnated each time to debunk the military’s claims that he had been killed.

In October 2013, a similar video was released after the military had claimed that he was killed during a gun battle. The Department of State Security (DSS), however, rubbished the video, saying “the amateur replica cloned everything wrongly”.