(Transcript from SBS World News Radio)
Militant group Boko Haram has claimed responsibility for a recent attack on the north eastern Nigerian town of Baga.
It comes as officials in Cameroon say a German hostage kidnapped by the Islamist group in northern Nigeria has been freed.
In a video posted online, a man claiming to be Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau says the attack on Nigeria's Baga town was carried out by his fighters.
And he's warned more deaths are coming.
Scores of civilians were killed in Baga when insurgents seized a multinational military base there.
Local officials put the death toll as high as 2,000, although the military said it was 150.
The online video released, in which the group claims responsibility for the attack, is in the trademark Boko Haram style.
The bearded man claiming to be Abubakar Shekau is in combat uniform, speaking in the northern Nigerian Hausa language, surrounded by masked gunmen.
He claims the fighters have seized enough weapons to destroy Nigeria.
"I have said in Hausa that we got these weapons from the attack in Baga. These weapons, including the ones we already have, are enough to annihilate Nigeria, not to mention Cameroon."
Meanwhile, officials in Cameroon say a German hostage kidnapped by Boko Haram in northern Nigeria has been freed.
A statement from Cameroon's government says the man was released following an operation by its military and allies.
The German embassy in Nigeria says the man was a teacher undergoing vocational training when he was kidnapped in July last year.
A Cameroon military aircraft carrying the hostage landed in Yaounde International Airport where a smiling Nitsch Eberhard Robert met with German and Cameroon government officials.
Mr Robert says he's relieved to be rescued.
"I am happy to see now all these people around who rescued me and made sure I survived, because until the last minute I was going to the Colonel, and I did not know if I survive or I not survive. Do you understand? This was a big problem for me. Yeah, because this was darkness, total dark, then you see nobody around you and this is a big problem to say okay I will survive or not survive, when you have a long time where nobody talked with you, nobody."
Boko Haram militants have carried out a number of kidnappings in Nigeria and across the border in Cameroon, with reports of ransom being paid for hostages.
Last week, satellite images of Nigerian towns attacked by the militants showed widespread destruction.
In the past week there have been several attacks, including by suspected child suicide bombers.
The safety and security of Nigerian citizens is a major issue in elections expected to take place in Nigeria next month.
Justin Urquhart Stewart is an economist from Britain's Seven Investment Management.
He says Nigeria will need a very clear election result if the incoming government is to get a grip on the security situation, and therefore the economy.
"Fundamentally we need to have a clear political decision from the election to make sure there is strong government coming through to deal with domestic issues and domestic geo-political issues, particularly in the north of the country."
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