Militant group Boko Haram has said it has set up an Islamic state in the towns and villages it seized in north-eastern Nigeria.
Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau was speaking in a video released late Sunday to congratulate his fighters for seizing the town of Gwoza earlier this month.
It is not clear if Shekau has pledged allegiance to Islamic State, which controls parts of Iraq and Syria.
Military spokesman Chris Olukolade responded with a statement dismissing the declaration. "The sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Nigerian state is still intact," he said.
Thousands of people have been killed, mostly in north-eastern Nigeria, since 2009 when Boko Haram began its insurgency.
Gwoza is the biggest town under Boko Haram control. It has raised its flags over the palace of the Emir of Gwoza, the town's traditional ruler, residents say.
"Thanks be to Allah who gave victory to our brethren in Gwoza and made it part of the Islamic state," Shekau said in the 52-minute video.
Boko Haram re-emerged with the abduction of over 200 school girls on April 14 from their hostels in the town of Chibok – a case that drew international outrage and prompted a global campaign for their release.
