This followed the release of a new video by the sect over the weekend.

Hope of the quick release of over 200 school girls kidnapped last April by the Boko Haram sect in northeast Nigeria appeared to have been dashed over the weekend following the release of another video by the militants denying knowledge of any ceasefire deal with government.

Thisday newspaper reported yesterday, November 2, 2014 that Boko Haram instead claimed that the girls were converted to Islam and married off. The leader of the Islamic fundamentalist group, Abubakar Shekau, who was previously reported killed by the military, in a new video released on October 31, 2014, denied authorizing a certain Danladi Ahmadu to represent them in any peace talks, qualifying him as an infidel. Media reports suggested that the supposed truce has failed as the Defence Headquarters said that it had mobilised more troops to counter the attacks of the insurgents.

It said it had stepped up air and land deployment to tackle terrorist activities in the North-east, a development which has effectively brought to an end the cease-fire announced recently, but was only observed by the military. The announcement came on the heels of the aggressive advances made by Boko Haram in Adamawa and Borno States, leading to the fall of some major towns and several villages.

Announcing this on Saturday November 1, 2014, the Director of Defence Information, Major Gen. Chris Olukolade, said: “Necessary deployment of troops and equipment is on-going to reverse all recent violation and breach of security by terrorists and criminals operating in parts of the country. The highly coordinated air bombardment is already yielding required results in the mission to repel the unwarranted attacks on citizens, especially in Adamawa and Borno States as land forces are also conducting mopping up operations to apprehend retreating terrorists and facilitate restoration of normalcy in some of the affected communities”, he said.