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.

Boko Haram is fighting to overthrow Nigeria's government and establish an Islamic State in the north.

In the last 18 months it has lost most of the territory it had controlled after being pushed back by an offensive by the forces of Nigeria and its neighbours.

Shekau was last heard from in an audio message last August, saying he was alive and had not been replaced.

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.

"I was asked to send my ideology in writing to the caliph but it was manipulated by some people in order to achieve their own selfish interests," he added, describing a coup attempt against him.

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.

He then described al-Barnawi and his followers as polytheist.

Source:BBC