Abubakar Shekau, leader of the Boko Haram sect, says the group is responsible for the killing of farmers in Borno state.
Babagana Zulum, governor of the state, had said 43 residents were killed while they were working on their farmlands.
But in a video released on Tuesday, Shekau said at least 78 farmers were killed in the tragic incident.
Shekau said those giving out intelligence on Boko Haram activities to the military will face the same fate.
The killing has been widely condemned within and outside Nigeria, with the United Nations describing it as the “most violent attack” affecting civilians in 2020.