Shekau fumes as IS appoints new chief
The disputed leader of Boko Haram has said he is still in charge of Nigeria's militant Islamist group despite a statement by so-called Islamic State that he had been replaced.
Abubakar Shekau denounced the IS declaration that Abu Musab al-Barnawi was now leader. Shekau accused al-Barnawi of trying to stage a coup against him.
In a 10-minute audio message in both Arabic and Hausa, Shekau appeared to distance Boko Haram from IS, but still called its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi "caliph".
He said that some in Boko Haram had stopped him communicating with al-Baghdadi. He said he had sent eight different letters to IS leaders but they did not act on them, only to hear the news that he had been replaced.
Shekau had been accused of hoarding food and ammunition and also of driving away IS military advisers.
BBC's Abuja bureau editor Naziru Mikailu says this split is likely to have a major impact on the way the group operates and could be a turning point in the fight against the insurgents.
Shekau took over as the group's leader in July 2009. Under his leadership Boko Haram became more radical, carried out more killings and swore allegiance to IS in March 2015.
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