Nigel Brennan (born 18 May 1972) is an

Australian Australian(s) may refer to: Australia * Australia, a country * Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia ** European Australians ** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists ** Aboriginal Au ...

photojournalist Photojournalism is journalism that uses images to tell a news story. It usually only refers to still images, but can also refer to video used in broadcast journalism. Photojournalism is distinguished from other close branches of photography (such ...

and author. In 2008, Islamist insurgents in southern Somalia kidnapped him and Canadian freelance journalist

Amanda Lindhout Amanda Lindhout (born June 12, 1981) is a Canadian humanitarian, public speaker and journalist. On August 23, 2008, she and members of her entourage were kidnapped by Islamist insurgents in southern Somalia. She was released 15 months later ...

. He was released 15 months later after a ransom payment was given to his captors. He then went on to write a memoir recounting his hostage experience. In 2013, Brennan competed in the

Clipper Round the World Yacht Race The Clipper Round the World Yacht Race is a biennial race that takes paying amateur crews on one or more legs of a circumnavigation of the globe in 11 specially-designed identical yachts owned by Clipper Ventures. Professional skippers and addi ...

, and spoke after the end of the Atlantic leg about his abduction and its psychological aftermath. In 2022, he was cast on the first season of the Australian reality show '' The Traitors,'' finishing 7th of 24 contestants.

Abduction

On 23 August 2008, three days after having arrived in

Mogadishu Mogadishu (, also ; so, Muqdisho or ; ar, مقديشو ; it, Mogadiscio ), locally known as Xamar or Hamar, is the capital and List of cities in Somalia by population, most populous city of Somalia. The city has served as an important port ...

, Nigel Brennan and

went to interviews at an IDP camp. On the way they were stopped by gunmen and kidnapped along with their Somali translator, Abdifatah Mohammed Elmi, their driver, Mahad Isse, and a driver from the Shamo Hotel, Marwali. The abductors were teenage insurgents affiliated with the

Hizbul Islam Hizbul Islam ("Islamic Party"), also known as Hizbul Islaami, Hisbi Islam, or Hezb-ul Islam, was a Somali Islamist group formed after four Islamist groups merged to oppose the new Somali government of President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed. The four g ...

fundamentalist group. The kidnappers initially demanded a ransom of three million US dollars. Brennan and Lindhout were held in isolation, mostly in a room 3 x 5 meters, and often in the dark. Both Brennan and Lindhout converted to Islam to ingratiate themselves with their captors. An escape attempt through a toilet window ended with their dramatic recapture in a mosque. Elmi and the two drivers were released on 15 January 2009. The Australian Government having a no-ransom policy led them to having very little involvement in Brennan's case. The kidnappers later lowered the ransom demand to $1 million. After being held hostage for 462 days, the ransom was paid. Australian Greens parliamentary leader Senator

Bob Brown Robert James Brown (born 27 December 1944) is a former Australian politician, medical doctor and environmentalist. He was a senator and the parliamentary leader of the Australian Greens. Brown was elected to the Australian Senate on the Tasman ...

and businessman Dick Smith lent money to secure their release. They were both released on 25 November 2009.

Memoir

In 2011, Brennan released the memoir ''The Price of Life: A True Story of Kidnap & Ransom'', which detailed his psychological journey, from the first weeks to the end - as well as the family's perspective. He co-authored it with his sister Nicky Bonney, and sister-in-law Kellie Brennan.

Dramatization

British documentary/docudrama television series ''

Banged Up Abroad ''Banged Up Abroad'' (rebadged as ''Locked Up Abroad'' in Asia and the United States, and ''Jailed Abroad'' in India, for the National Geographic Channel) is a British documentary/ docudrama television series created by Bart Layton that was p ...

'' featured the personal account of photojournalist Nigel Brennan in Series 7 (2012) Episode 18: Somalia/Nightmare in Somalia. Actor Tom Oakley played the role of Brennan.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Brennan, Nigel 1972 births Australian memoirists Australian people taken hostage Australian photographers Australian sailors Foreign hostages in Somalia Formerly missing people Academic staff of Griffith University Kidnapped Australian people Living people Missing person cases in Somalia Place of birth missing (living people) People educated at The Armidale School

Abduction

Memoir

Dramatization

See also

References