The Boko Haram insurgency group has denied entering into any ceasefire agreement with the Federal Government, dismissing reports of a secret truce and alleged N5 billion ransom payment as false.

In a seven-minute video released on Sunday, a man identified as Mallam Abdulrahman, who spoke in Arabic before switching to Hausa, claimed to be speaking on behalf of Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati Wal Jihad (JAS), the Boko Haram faction led by Abu Umaima, also known as Bakura Doro.

Abdulrahman repeatedly described reports of a ceasefire and “lie”, insisting that the group had not entered into any negotiation with the government.

The development comes days after reports emerged that the Federal Government had allegedly brokered a temporary ceasefire with the insurgents to facilitate the release of civilians abducted in Ngoshe, Borno State.

The reports had also alleged that the arrangement involved the payment of N5 billion to the insurgents, a claim the Federal Government denied.

The Guardian had earlier contacted the Defence Headquarters over the alleged agreement.

But the Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj. Gen. Mike Onoja, declined to comment on the report at the time.

In the latest video, Abdulrahman said the group only became aware of the reports of a ceasefire a day or two earlier through media reports.

He accused the government of using the development to deceive Nigerians ahead of the 2027 elections.

According to him, although reconciliation was permissible under Islam, no such agreement had been reached with the government.

“It is not that there is no room”he said. “We know there is reconciliation in religion. But this reconciliation that you are spreading word of is a lie.”

He also invoked the history of the insurgency, citing the group’s founder, Mohammed Yusuf, and former leader Abubakar Shekau, as examples of leaders who, according to him, rejected the Nigerian democratic system and government.

Abdulrahman said the current leadership under Abu Umaima had also not authorised any reconciliation with the government.

He warned that the group would continue to attack whenever it had the opportunity, despite reports of a truce.

He said the group’s leadership and commanders had “no connection, internal or external” to the reported reconciliation efforts.