August 11, 2022 • 36 mins
In 2008, Australian photojournalist Nigel Brennan and Canadian journalist Amanda Lindhout were kidnapped in Somalia by an Islamist insurgent group while reporting on the country's refugee crisis. They endured 460 days in captivity before being released in November 2009.
This episode recounts the harrowing ordeal of a determined photojournalist held hostage in Somalia and his courageous sister's relentless efforts to secure his freedom.
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Speaker 1 (00:16):
You are listening to seven New Spectrum with me Malin
Heglund And this is taken for ransom in Somalia.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
After fifteen months held at gunpoint in Law of Somalia,
Nigel Brennan is on his way.
Speaker 3 (00:30):
Home for four hundred and sixty two days. Our family
has hoped that this day would come.
Speaker 1 (00:39):
In two thousand and eight, Australia, Nigel Brennan was living
in Scotland working as a newspaper photographer. With a photojournalist
and background from Brisbane's Griffiths University. He dreamt of telling
meaningful stories.
Speaker 4 (00:56):
Well, I guess you know, I had the stream of
going into conflict zone. Also, I was going through a
reading some I guess books like One Credit Era and
The Bank Bank Club, and was inspired by what those
guys had done to really tell stories of people who
were less fortunate, and I guess shine a light into
(01:19):
countries where there was some massive uphaval going on. And
Amanda was the one that sort of rang and asked
if I wanted to go, And I guess so I
was at that crossroads in life where I was like,
well if I don't if I don't do it, then
I'm never going to do it so.
Speaker 1 (01:40):
Nigel met Canadian Amanda Lindhaut in two thousand and six
while on assignment in Ethiopia. She was a backpacker and
aspiring conflict journalist who had already freelanced in the Middle East,
living Nigel's stream. When she invited him to join her
in Africa, he sided as.
Speaker 4 (01:59):
An every moment, I really made that conscious decision to go, well,
I've got to experience it, because maybe this is not
the career for me, maybe this is maybe this is
all in my head, you know.
Speaker 5 (02:13):
I think once we got there and it was like,
I'm not going to lie. It was invigorating and terrifying.
Speaker 4 (02:21):
At the same time to be such a dangerous place,
and there is you know, a lot of adrenaline that
goes through your body when you hear people shooting at
you and you're trying to work and catch images. And
I think Somalia was a country that at that stage
the rest of the world had sort of forgotten about.
Speaker 6 (02:43):
This smoke could be seen kilometers across the capital.
Speaker 7 (02:48):
The anguish fell throughout it too.
Speaker 8 (02:51):
When the FBI discovered Somali's becoming radicalized. It all ludit astray.
Speaker 6 (02:56):
El Shabab, a Somali extremist growth with links to our
Kida CI responsibility via Twitter caught up in the attack, children,
women and foreigner.
Speaker 9 (03:06):
Trying to focus many of their vehicles.
Speaker 2 (03:08):
We can kids, believe that we can take her to
Naga Honey Mishalla.
Speaker 1 (03:13):
By two thousand and eight, Somalia had been ungoverned for
nearly two decades since President Mohammed siad Bar was ousted
by militias aiming to establish an Islamic state. Civil war followed,
fueled by state violence and clan conflicts. In two thousand,
the Islamic Courts Union ICU emerged, seeking to govern Somalia
(03:38):
under Shariah law. By two thousand and six, the ICU
had taken control of Mogadishu, ending warlordism with community support.
Those suspicions of links to al Qaeda attracted international concern.
Speaker 6 (03:54):
El Shabab and extremist group based in Somalia with links.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
To al Qaeda.
Speaker 8 (04:01):
They called themselves al Shabab meaning the boys, but this
training video is the child.
Speaker 6 (04:07):
The White House was quick to condemn the attack, vowing
to continue helping Kenya fight the terror group.
Speaker 8 (04:13):
The groups brought havoc and destruction to its own country,
controlling large parts of Somalia, killing hundreds and forcing thousands
more to flee.
Speaker 1 (04:23):
Ethiopian troops entered Somalia, sparking further conflict. In two thousand
and four, Abdullah Yusuf Ahmed and ex warlord became presidents,
but failed to unify Somalia. By two thousand and six,
Ethiopian intervention led to US air strikes, which many believe
(04:44):
radicalized former ICU members, fueling the rise of Al Shabab,
a terrorist group that grew significantly during this period. Somalia
was labeled one of the world's most dangerous countries, often
overlooked by the U international community. In two thousand and four,
ex warlord Abdullah Yusuf Ahmed became Somalia's president, but stayed
(05:09):
outside of the country due to instability.
Speaker 7 (05:13):
You did your willionaire and for many menage the.
Speaker 10 (05:16):
Area are your medical Union.
Speaker 11 (05:19):
The European Union, how hardly welcomed the.
Speaker 9 (05:25):
Ordinary Parliamentary Session of Baidua, the first ever end of
the parliament inside.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
The ICU, rejected his government, accusing him of backing Ethiopian troops.
In two thousand and seven, US air strikes in Somalia
supported by Ethiopian forces, sparked the global concerns of escalating violence.
Experts link Ethiopia's occupation.
Speaker 7 (05:54):
To the rights of Al Shabbab as.
Speaker 1 (05:56):
Former ICU members joined the group, which grew significantly between
two thousand and six and two thousand and eight. Somalia
I was widely seen as one of the world's most
dangerous places, but to Nigel.
Speaker 7 (06:11):
As the country many had forgotten about.
Speaker 10 (06:15):
Well, I don't think we knew that it was both
of them.
Speaker 12 (06:18):
And we were out doing some landscaping on a friend's place.
Speaker 7 (06:22):
That's Nicki, Nigel's older sister.
Speaker 1 (06:25):
She, like the rest of the family, was unaware of
her brother's plan to travel to Somalia.
Speaker 12 (06:32):
And I came back to Angela's house and I'm trying
to think why. Maybe I think maybe Jacinta was there,
maybe our oldest daughter was there. And Angela actually she'd
had a phone call from Mum or Dad, I can't
quite recall which one was. But she asked me if
i'd heard from them, and I said no, I hadn't,
(06:52):
and she said, well, you need to call them because
there's a problem with Nige.
Speaker 1 (06:57):
At Nicki's parents' house, confused and read they've heard from
foreign affairs that their son might be held hostage in Somalia.
Yet Nigel had told his mother he was heading to
Kenya before returning home for a friend's wedding in September.
Speaker 12 (07:13):
There was a lot of time that we were trying
to work out if it was actually accurate or not.
Speaker 10 (07:17):
We started bringing around.
Speaker 12 (07:19):
We rang that a partner foreign affairs who said that
and it took quite a bit to get this out
of them, that no, that was not the case because
it wasn't Nigel Brennan. It was Michael Brennan and it
was unconfirmed and that he was actually in Somalia, and
we were going, well, we know that he's going to
(07:42):
you know, at that point in time, we'd contacted his
girlfriend who was over in Scotland and she said, yeah,
Nigel's in Somalia. And it was when they said, there's
like apparently Mana Lindhout has been napped as well, and
we've gone yet we know Amanda, So it's not Michael Brennan, guys,
(08:05):
it's Nigel Brennan.
Speaker 10 (08:06):
Get your facts right.
Speaker 1 (08:10):
Nigel and Amanda met at Nairobi Airport on August sixteenth,
two thousand and eight to arrange visas and hire a
fixer for their work in Mogadishu, Somalia's capital. A fixer
is a person who is hired to make sure that
they can do their work safely. Nigel hadn't told his
family that he was heading to Somalia.
Speaker 7 (08:34):
It's estimated that one million Demolis have left their homes.
Some have been displaced for years, but the renewed fighting
has forced about six hundred thousand to flee since February
this year.
Speaker 1 (08:45):
In two thousand and seven, the UNHCR reported severe Klan
conflicts in Mogadishu, with aid access blocked by militia controlled checkpoints.
By the time Nigel and Amanda arrived, over one million
people were the placed in Somalia. In Somalia, Nigel and
Amanda state at the Shamo Hotel in Mogadishu. On their
(09:08):
fourth day, Nigel woke up early. He had planned to
join Ugandan troops on patrol before they were scheduled to
visit displaced people's camps. However, he learned it was canceled
after a mortar attack hit the base. The city's constant
fighting made work difficult with their fixer ajo's limiting their
(09:30):
movements for safety. As they prepared to visit displaced people's camps,
Ajos shared unsettling news that left Nigel uneasy.
Speaker 11 (09:41):
We were informed that we would have to lave our
security detail on the edge of Magadishu and then drive
for four or five condas to pick up our next
security data, which was a risk which was really explained
clearly to us, but Commander an asmatic quick decision. We'd
obviously come to try and get a story and let's
(10:03):
go for it, otherwise the day was going to be wasted,
and drove down the road and two or three kimeutes
later we thought what was our security detail was.
Speaker 5 (10:12):
Actually an ambush. So you know, pulled up and there
was a guy standing on the side of the.
Speaker 4 (10:16):
Road in front of his car, and then sort of
noticed very quickly another six or seven guys with naturally
mass spaces and AK forty seven's coming out of the
trays doors. Howdoors of our vehicle were ripped open, and
then we were ripped out of the car and thrown
onto the ground and very quickly then bundled back into
the back seat of our vehicle, so five of us
(10:38):
and then driven for a period of time before we
were taken to a compound, and I guess was the
start of our four hundred and sixty days.
Speaker 1 (10:46):
In captivity in Bunderberg at Queensland, Nicky stayed at her parents'
house after news on Nigel's kidnapping. She slept near their
bedroom fearing a dreaded middle of the night call from
what she calls the boogie man for grown ups, and
just past midnight.
Speaker 7 (11:05):
The call came. The caller, with a slight.
Speaker 1 (11:08):
Accent, introduced himself as Ali umar Aden later referred to
as Adam.
Speaker 10 (11:16):
I was in the sleepout in the office area.
Speaker 12 (11:18):
So they've got sort of like an upstairs downstairs area
and Mum has this selling room.
Speaker 10 (11:22):
Which is going to sleep out in it like a
roll at bed there.
Speaker 12 (11:25):
So I was in that and the phone rang around
about two or three o'clock in the morning, in the
middle of the night anyway, and I picked it up
and he Adan actually announced himself straight away. He said
who he was and asked if I knew who Nigel
(11:46):
Brennan was, to which I responded, he is my brother,
and that he explained. He was quite clear about explaining
that this was a ransom phone call and they were
asking a ransom price of three million dollars US. I
was pretty I was pretty freaked out at that point
(12:07):
in time. Not so much by the fact that, I mean,
the amount of money was ridiculous, so it didn't even
come into consideration. I was more freaked out about the
fact that there was no one else here. There was
no one present too, you know, be able to say, yeah,
(12:30):
that's that's that's how they work. This is this is
the right thing, this is this is what goes on
with phone calls like that.
Speaker 1 (12:37):
After Dan hung up, things escalated. In the following days,
Nikki learned negotiation techniques from the Queensland Police and received
Nigel's first proof of life officer from Foreign Affairs and
the AFP moved into the house, setting up laptops and
a phone to monitor calls.
Speaker 7 (12:58):
A dance.
Speaker 1 (12:59):
Calls continue, but Nikki only heard from Nigel once she
was told these calls were for report building, a key
strategy in negotiation. According to former detective Tom Hart, who
now trains police negotiators in.
Speaker 13 (13:15):
The US, it's all about building a report. So you're
in a negotiation with somebody who's a crisis primarily, and
then the negotiation are different when you're dealing with somebody.
Speaker 5 (13:27):
Like the small case.
Speaker 1 (13:29):
Tom was not part of Nigel Alamanda's kidnap for ransom case,
nor does he handle cases like theirs, but he does
have experience in dealing with types of criminals.
Speaker 13 (13:40):
And negotiating with a number of people who take people hostage.
But it's more of a random, unexpected situation where they've
got into a variety store that did an arm robbery,
end up taking the clerk hostage, and I've negotiated the
situations like that. Other situations are are people who are
(14:02):
distress suicidal and may take a family member hostage, or
if it's a running house fs situations where they will
allow the person to.
Speaker 5 (14:12):
Want to leave.
Speaker 1 (14:27):
By September two thousand and eight, Nigel and Amanda had
been held captive for a month. Islamist insurgents were attacking
peacekeeping bases in Mogadishu, with daily battles reported. A video
aired on Al Jacira showed them in a courtyard claiming
to have converted to Islam. Nigel later called it propaganda,
(14:50):
adding that his calls home were scripted and controlled by
his captors.
Speaker 5 (14:55):
Health territy.
Speaker 4 (14:59):
I think when someone tells you you know that the
best thing you can do is to convert, because if
you don't, once we get around them forward, once we
get around them for you will execute you. But if
you're Muslim, we can't do that. So it was sort
of like you've made the decision for.
Speaker 1 (15:14):
Us, really, Nigel says, they requested an English Qur'an to
stay on their captor's good side. At first, he read
only a few pages, but later used it to pass
the time. Eventually he used the text to point out
contradictions to his captors.
Speaker 4 (15:32):
I sort of call it my Bible to survival, because
I guess I read it and I tried to find
contradictions within the text of what they were doing. Like
they were saying that they were Muslim, and I was
obviously now a Muslim, and I was saying, well, once
I've become a Muslim, you can't you can't actually stand
(15:53):
in my way. And then we would have the sort
of I guess, for want of a better word, pissing
matches where I say, but here in the crown it
says this, and then they would flick through the pages
and said, but here in the crown it says, in
your right hand you hold the slaves and they're like, well,
you're a slave because you're a Christian before you became
a Muslim. And then I'd flick through somewhere else and
(16:15):
find another passage and say that here it says this,
and they're like, you're very good Muslim, like you understand
the crown, and then it flip somewhere else that It
was frustrating, but I think also instilled in them that
I was obviously trying to understand the religion and look,
(16:36):
and I think in some respects that maybe assured me
a little.
Speaker 5 (16:41):
Bit more respect.
Speaker 4 (16:42):
And also, you know, I think bang a mail, but
the fact that I was trying to not only understand
the Cran but also learn some of the verses in Arabic.
Speaker 1 (16:51):
By January two thousand and nine, things shifted in Australia.
Amanda's cameraman and two drivers were released, and Nikki and
at a meeting with Foreign Affairs in Canberra. There she
learned about Nigel's well being and you found interest in
the Qur'an. Nikki often felt left out of updates, but
(17:12):
was told by a unique mandate created by the Australian
and Canadian government for the case, there.
Speaker 12 (17:19):
Would be a you know, it was bureau speak.
Speaker 10 (17:25):
You know, there will be no ransom paid.
Speaker 12 (17:27):
However, you know it may cost two hundred and fifty
thousand dollars to get someone out, hmm, you know that
would be the costs incurred.
Speaker 10 (17:37):
That's how it was presented.
Speaker 1 (17:41):
A month later, Nicki's family learned to contact with Adan
had stopped, and the next of kin phone was moved
to Canberra.
Speaker 7 (17:50):
In March.
Speaker 1 (17:51):
They attended more meetings, including one with Australia's Foreign minister.
Speaker 12 (17:56):
When we'd raised I think at that point in time,
half a million dollars we went to I think it
was Steven Smith at the time.
Speaker 10 (18:04):
And he just said, there's no way we're facilitating that.
We just gone up. Thanks, that's nice. There was a
whole period of.
Speaker 12 (18:14):
Time where you know, the Australian government took it onto
themselves to actually stop or contact whatsoever. So I was
unaware that, you know, there was contact going on, which
you know, apparently there was an AIOBI, but none of
that was getting back to us. And from what I understand,
you know, they were trying to put pressure on him
(18:35):
by not contacting him, which you know John said afterwards,
is complete not of bloody madness.
Speaker 10 (18:44):
Because all of.
Speaker 12 (18:45):
A sudden they're holding onto and feeding and looking after
an asset that is costing them quite a lot of
money and they don't actually see any potential profit in it.
Speaker 1 (18:55):
John Chease, a private negotiator for Ake insurance, was contacted
by the Brennan family for help. He admired the family
but was frustrated with the government's handling of the case.
His involvement would be key to Nigel and Amanda's release.
Speaker 14 (19:18):
And although Al Shabab is not a listed terrorist organization
in Australia, it is here in America.
Speaker 1 (19:27):
By early two thousand and nine, after one hundred and
fifty two days in captivity, Nigel and Amanda's situation worsened
as no ransom was paid. Their captors escalated threats, targeting
Amanda and threatening her life, which led them to plan
and escape.
Speaker 4 (19:46):
From my perspective, it was like, if I'm going to die,
I'm not just going to sit here and take a bullet.
I'm actually going to make this guy's work for its
I guess.
Speaker 5 (19:55):
We looked for weaknesses in the house and found awakeness.
Speaker 4 (19:59):
In the bat room at the back of the house,
which Amanda and I sort of shared and spent two
and a half days with a small little male file
on the end of them now clippers digging out the
mortar of the bricks and lade a hole big enough,
and finally got out in the middle of the day,
ran to a local mask and pleaded for help, and
(20:20):
people there were actually incredibly helpful and we're trying to
protect us, and you know, I think the whole ordeal
sort of lasted for about twenty five minutes before we
were recaptured, and that look, that was probably one of
the days where I thought, you know, we were going
to end up dead.
Speaker 5 (20:41):
You know.
Speaker 4 (20:41):
I can remember after we were recaptured and Amanda and
I were put into the back of the car, you know,
we were removed from the mosque and put into the
back of the car, and I can remember Amanda looking
there and saying, fuck, that was intense.
Speaker 1 (20:55):
The escape attempt worsened their treatment. Nigel was shackled with
minimal movements, his Quran taken, and he and Amanda were
separated for eleven months. In Australia, the Brendan family sought
help from negotiator John Chase, despite warnings from Foreign affairs
who called such negotiators cowboys and advised against it.
Speaker 12 (21:20):
So John rang us twice a day, so once individually
and once was a great conversation with John and Amanda's
mother and myself, and we would discuss what our conversations
and malay of the land conversations would be with Adam
or the following evening or whenever they were meant to happen.
(21:43):
So effectively, it was all about coaching us as to
how to respond. Like our primary directive was always proof
of life. The problem we had at that point in
time was a dan We'd worked out that Adam was
kind of a third party member and they had been
so long at that point in time, it was so
long down the power dema track.
Speaker 1 (22:04):
The crisis management team, including Nikki, her sister in law,
Amanda's parents, and her best friend, met with John Chase.
He revealed that the Department of Foreign Affairs had shared
no information when he took over the case. Raising ransom
money was difficult, but soon unexpected help came, proving vital
(22:26):
for Nigel and Amanda's release.
Speaker 2 (22:39):
The photo journalists Canadian colleague were kidnapped for a million
dollar ransom their families couldn't pay.
Speaker 9 (22:46):
I had my Senate officers in the Cellar Maker place
in Hobart, and I got a call from a journalist
for the Economist magazine. He worked in Africa, but he
was in Hobart writing a book and he gave me
call and asked to have a cup of coffee. So
I did, and he said, what's happening with this Australian
(23:07):
called Nigel Brennan has been kidnapped and has been held
by a criminal gang in Mogadishue. And I said, I
have no idea. I'd never heard of it. I'll find out.
Speaker 1 (23:18):
Boba Brown, former leader of the Australian Greens, confirmed the
kidnapping with the Foreign Affairs and noted the situation looked green.
He said his decision to help the Brennan family came
after a conversation with Nigel's mother.
Speaker 9 (23:35):
No more I thought about it, the more alarmed I
became about the fact that almost nowhere in Australia, besides
that Brennans knew what was happening, there was no media
coverage of it, certainly, and there was no parliamentary or
there appeared to be no bureaucratic action. Impact Worse than
(23:57):
at the Department had taken over the communications with the
people who were holding Nigel an Amanda in Moggid Issue,
and had decided not to communicate with them. I thought
if they didn't communicate with them, that might the criminals
might give up and just release them. But of course
(24:19):
for the family this was harrowing stuff, and they told
the family not to get in contact and they were
really leaving the family out on a limb with a
no action plan. And it was very alarming because it
didn't take too much common sense to know that these
thugs in Moggat Issue would very easily put a bullet
(24:43):
into these people, and they weren't going to go out
of their way to be nice about it, or to
in some way or other release Nigel and Amanda for nothing.
Speaker 1 (24:55):
Bob and his partner Paul donated one hundred thousand Australian
dollars after learning about John Chase and the shortfall in funds.
Bob hoped their contribution would inspire others, but when it didn't,
he began seeking additional support.
Speaker 9 (25:13):
They ended up running sausage sizzles to raise money. They
virtually sold everything they could sell. Iran Dick Smith, he
did hotics been very generous in the past, and I
told him about the plight of Nigel and Amanda and
that the kidnappers were asking one and a half million,
(25:33):
and we had with the Brennans a couple hundred thousand,
but that was all. Now he redue diligence, including contacting
mister Chase or at least sussing out the bona fides
of the middleman from Britain and found him to be
genuine and to have a proven record and the catalong
(25:55):
story short, they can put up amount of money for
most of us, and mister Chase went to work and
made contact with the kidnappers.
Speaker 2 (26:09):
Businessman Dick Smith stepped in branding the federal government's eleven
month attempt of failure.
Speaker 9 (26:15):
In fact, with hindsight, they really didn't know what they
were doing.
Speaker 2 (26:18):
They hired private security experts, something Smith says the government
should have recommended from day one.
Speaker 1 (26:24):
Alongside Nikki and the crisis management team, John Chase was
also assisted by a Somali interpreter based in the UK.
Nikki says the interpreter made communication with a done easier
and helped prevent Adan from trying to raise the ransom amount.
Speaker 12 (26:43):
He was also in a situation where he couldn't negotiate,
and that's what he would tell me, say, I cannot
I can't negotiate. This is the price, this is the
amount of money they have the end, and I.
Speaker 10 (26:56):
Think a done.
Speaker 12 (26:58):
You know, I've tried to worm you know, I don't know,
two and a half thousand dollars out of him or something,
and he's quickly sent a text through to John going
I think we should do this. I'm going to say yep,
to which he did, and so at that point in time,
the deal was made. And that's when John said, right,
(27:19):
get on a plane. I'm going to send I'm getting
you over here. Amanda's mum over my folks came over
as well too, and the Sas boys over here, and
we're going to see how we go moving the money
directly from here to there.
Speaker 1 (27:37):
In Somalia. It was the country's second rainy season and
Nigel and Amanda's fifteenth month in captivity. Nigel said he
hadn't heard from his family in months.
Speaker 4 (27:48):
I think maybe a month before we released. I got
to speak to my sister and she'd sort of said,
you know, if everything goes to planned, you should be
back with us in the next twenty four hours and
that sort of passed, and then our captors had sort
of said, your family have a wasting well, they're wasting
(28:11):
time or something like that.
Speaker 5 (28:13):
And we've been speaking.
Speaker 4 (28:14):
To another group, al Shabab, who I knew was that
class as a terrorist organization, and they had said that
they'd offered pay two million dollars for Amander and myself
and they had a bigger network where they could hold
us for a longer period of time. And so the
day we're actually released, I thought we were about to
be handed on to them.
Speaker 1 (28:34):
Al Shabab was added to the US State Department's terrorist
list five months before Nigel and Amanda were captured. In Australia,
the group was listed in two thousand and nine. Under
Australian law, paying ransom to a group known as a
terrorist organization is illegal if done knowingly or recklessly.
Speaker 12 (28:56):
So it was all just like you know, the end
of a law hard flight and just like bloody hell.
Speaker 10 (29:04):
So yeah, and then then we got to yeah, well
picked up and we went.
Speaker 12 (29:09):
Out to the the hotel that was staying and then
and then the diplomacy games began.
Speaker 1 (29:19):
Nicky arrived in their Robie on November third, two thousand
and nine, with her parents meeting Australian government's reps John Chase,
Amanda's parents and a friend, they finalized a ransom deal
with a don five hundred and forty eight one thousand,
plus an extra one hundred and thirty five thousand, likely
for a Dan himself, just two days before their departure.
Speaker 7 (29:42):
However, upon arrival.
Speaker 1 (29:44):
Communication with a Dance stopped and they were introduced to
new contact replacing him.
Speaker 10 (29:50):
We were booked to go home on the second time.
Speaker 12 (29:55):
When the money went in the second time, I was
just like, yeah, right, that's it, and I'm you know,
at that point in time, we were no longer speaking
to dam They've been sold on once again, and we're
talking to you know, the King King. And fortunately at
that point in time, we were having conversations with our
with our Somalian interpreter at the same time as well too,
(30:17):
so he was in on the phone calls plus Amanda's
mum and I and John at that point in time
that he was just listening to the kidnappers from Nairobi.
Speaker 2 (30:30):
After fifteen months held at gunpoint in lawless Somalia, Nigel
Brennan is on his way.
Speaker 3 (30:35):
Home for four hundred and sixty two days. Our family
has hoped that this day would come.
Speaker 2 (30:42):
In a brief, sometimes difficult media conference, his family revealed
their hell since last August.
Speaker 3 (30:48):
This has been an unbelievably harrowing and wearing ordeal, and
nothing could have prepared us as a family for what
we have gone through since Nigel's capture.
Speaker 1 (31:00):
Twenty fifth, a captor entered Nigel's room, demanding he changed
into new clothes and leave outside. He was ordered into
a vehicle and there was Amanda. He hadn't seen her
since their escape attempt.
Speaker 5 (31:15):
But we were like, what's going on.
Speaker 4 (31:18):
It was sort of late afternoon on dusk, and driven
around for what felt like about two hours until it
was dark, and then we pulled up. You know, we'd
sort of created this convoy of three vehicles, and we
pulled up in the bush somewhere and then we're taken
out of our car and put into like a low
station wagon. Then two guys asked us our names, and
(31:41):
we were there for about maybe ten fifteen minutes, and
then we drove off and left our captors and drove
down the road, and about five k's down the road,
a massive Tonado with a fifty MILLI made a gun
hanging off the back of the sort of blocked our path,
and all of these guys in army fatigues or not
(32:04):
army fatigues, but with AK forty seven's came out and
I was like, oh my god, this this doesn't look good.
And it wasn't until we were taken out of that
there and put into another four wheel drive and a
guy who was in the car he was trying to
calm this down and who was like, why are you
(32:26):
being hysterical because both of us were, and he said,
you've been released. And I think I sort of said, well,
if we've been released, where are the white people?
Speaker 5 (32:36):
Because I couldn't see any white people there.
Speaker 4 (32:40):
And he finally took a phone out of his pocket
and gave it to Amanda, and it was Amanda's name
on the phone.
Speaker 12 (32:46):
There was this whole fear in trepidation because people knew
that they had been paid for and we're thinking cheeses
crist to imagine if someone just breaks it and takes
him again.
Speaker 2 (33:04):
Thirty seven year old Brennan and Canadian journalist Amanda lid
Out were kidnapped while covering the refugee crisis in Somalia seven.
You spoke to him in his hotel today.
Speaker 6 (33:14):
He answered the phone very confidently, said hello.
Speaker 4 (33:17):
I said how are you?
Speaker 11 (33:18):
And he said, I'm okay, I'm great.
Speaker 2 (33:20):
But for months they've been locked up, striped, naked, starved.
Speaker 4 (33:24):
There are times that I was beaten and I was tortured.
Speaker 3 (33:30):
Extremely extremely difficult situation.
Speaker 4 (33:33):
Yeah, it's hard to put inal like I think I
was again because I had sort of compartmentalized my motion.
Speaker 5 (33:40):
I think I just grabbed mum and neck and we
sort of walked.
Speaker 4 (33:44):
We walked into the hospital where I spent the next
five days sort of obviously undergoing a lot of medical
and dental work and those sorts of things, before going
into like another five days of fairly intense psychological work
and working with Istraian Federal Polastics sort of daybreak as
much as I could before I came home.
Speaker 9 (34:11):
I'll never forget being called at dawn one morning by
Peter Style from my office in cambrid to say Nigel's released.
And it was a fantastic feeling that they actually, the
two of them were actually on their way back to Nairabi,
where Nigel's parents were waiting to greet him.
Speaker 1 (34:35):
On February fourth, twenty ten, Bob Brown called for a
Center inquiry into the federal government's approach to Australians kidnapped overseas.
He said the decision came in response to the government's
handling on Nigel's case and others like it.
Speaker 9 (34:52):
So we recommend this Senate inquiry recommended that in future
cases where a it's kidnapped, they're family or friends who
want to help them be told directly in first up
by defat Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade that there
(35:12):
are intermediaries who can help them get to negotiate an
outcome which may lead to the release of their loved ones.
That that was the best avenue to go. Now whether
or not that's happened since I don't know, I don't
think the government and the governments of the day quite
(35:35):
realized the circumstances that a kidnap person's in. In fact,
they are appalling circumstances. It's difficult all around, but that
Senate Inquiry made that recommendation. It's fundamental and will be
fundamental because more Australians will be kidnapped and dangerous places
(35:58):
around the world, and when they are if the government's
not going to take action, it should at least advise
people who want to take action on how best to
do it, and not sit around with it on the
hands for months and refuse to answer phone calls. That's
a deadly, hopeless course of action and it should never
(36:18):
be repeated. It put Nigel and Amanda through months of
hell they shouldn't have had to endure, and that should
not happen again in the future. When the inevitable kidnapping
of another Australian occurs.
Speaker 1 (36:37):
You are listened to seven New Spectrum Taken for Ransom
in Somalia. This episode was produced and voiced by me
Marlon Haglund.
You are listening to seven New Spectrum with me Malin
Heglund And this is taken for ransom in Somalia.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
After fifteen months held at gunpoint in Law of Somalia,
Nigel Brennan is on his way.
Speaker 3 (00:30):
Home for four hundred and sixty two days. Our family
has hoped that this day would come.
Speaker 1 (00:39):
In two thousand and eight, Australia, Nigel Brennan was living
in Scotland working as a newspaper photographer. With a photojournalist
and background from Brisbane's Griffiths University. He dreamt of telling
meaningful stories.
Speaker 4 (00:56):
Well, I guess you know, I had the stream of
going into conflict zone. Also, I was going through a
reading some I guess books like One Credit Era and
The Bank Bank Club, and was inspired by what those
guys had done to really tell stories of people who
were less fortunate, and I guess shine a light into
(01:19):
countries where there was some massive uphaval going on. And
Amanda was the one that sort of rang and asked
if I wanted to go, And I guess so I
was at that crossroads in life where I was like,
well if I don't if I don't do it, then
I'm never going to do it so.
Speaker 1 (01:40):
Nigel met Canadian Amanda Lindhaut in two thousand and six
while on assignment in Ethiopia. She was a backpacker and
aspiring conflict journalist who had already freelanced in the Middle East,
living Nigel's stream. When she invited him to join her
in Africa, he sided as.
Speaker 4 (01:59):
An every moment, I really made that conscious decision to go, well,
I've got to experience it, because maybe this is not
the career for me, maybe this is maybe this is
all in my head, you know.
Speaker 5 (02:13):
I think once we got there and it was like,
I'm not going to lie. It was invigorating and terrifying.
Speaker 4 (02:21):
At the same time to be such a dangerous place,
and there is you know, a lot of adrenaline that
goes through your body when you hear people shooting at
you and you're trying to work and catch images. And
I think Somalia was a country that at that stage
the rest of the world had sort of forgotten about.
Speaker 6 (02:43):
This smoke could be seen kilometers across the capital.
Speaker 7 (02:48):
The anguish fell throughout it too.
Speaker 8 (02:51):
When the FBI discovered Somali's becoming radicalized. It all ludit astray.
Speaker 6 (02:56):
El Shabab, a Somali extremist growth with links to our
Kida CI responsibility via Twitter caught up in the attack, children,
women and foreigner.
Speaker 9 (03:06):
Trying to focus many of their vehicles.
Speaker 2 (03:08):
We can kids, believe that we can take her to
Naga Honey Mishalla.
Speaker 1 (03:13):
By two thousand and eight, Somalia had been ungoverned for
nearly two decades since President Mohammed siad Bar was ousted
by militias aiming to establish an Islamic state. Civil war followed,
fueled by state violence and clan conflicts. In two thousand,
the Islamic Courts Union ICU emerged, seeking to govern Somalia
(03:38):
under Shariah law. By two thousand and six, the ICU
had taken control of Mogadishu, ending warlordism with community support.
Those suspicions of links to al Qaeda attracted international concern.
Speaker 6 (03:54):
El Shabab and extremist group based in Somalia with links.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
To al Qaeda.
Speaker 8 (04:01):
They called themselves al Shabab meaning the boys, but this
training video is the child.
Speaker 6 (04:07):
The White House was quick to condemn the attack, vowing
to continue helping Kenya fight the terror group.
Speaker 8 (04:13):
The groups brought havoc and destruction to its own country,
controlling large parts of Somalia, killing hundreds and forcing thousands
more to flee.
Speaker 1 (04:23):
Ethiopian troops entered Somalia, sparking further conflict. In two thousand
and four, Abdullah Yusuf Ahmed and ex warlord became presidents,
but failed to unify Somalia. By two thousand and six,
Ethiopian intervention led to US air strikes, which many believe
(04:44):
radicalized former ICU members, fueling the rise of Al Shabab,
a terrorist group that grew significantly during this period. Somalia
was labeled one of the world's most dangerous countries, often
overlooked by the U international community. In two thousand and four,
ex warlord Abdullah Yusuf Ahmed became Somalia's president, but stayed
(05:09):
outside of the country due to instability.
Speaker 7 (05:13):
You did your willionaire and for many menage the.
Speaker 10 (05:16):
Area are your medical Union.
Speaker 11 (05:19):
The European Union, how hardly welcomed the.
Speaker 9 (05:25):
Ordinary Parliamentary Session of Baidua, the first ever end of
the parliament inside.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
The ICU, rejected his government, accusing him of backing Ethiopian troops.
In two thousand and seven, US air strikes in Somalia
supported by Ethiopian forces, sparked the global concerns of escalating violence.
Experts link Ethiopia's occupation.
Speaker 7 (05:54):
To the rights of Al Shabbab as.
Speaker 1 (05:56):
Former ICU members joined the group, which grew significantly between
two thousand and six and two thousand and eight. Somalia
I was widely seen as one of the world's most
dangerous places, but to Nigel.
Speaker 7 (06:11):
As the country many had forgotten about.
Speaker 10 (06:15):
Well, I don't think we knew that it was both
of them.
Speaker 12 (06:18):
And we were out doing some landscaping on a friend's place.
Speaker 7 (06:22):
That's Nicki, Nigel's older sister.
Speaker 1 (06:25):
She, like the rest of the family, was unaware of
her brother's plan to travel to Somalia.
Speaker 12 (06:32):
And I came back to Angela's house and I'm trying
to think why. Maybe I think maybe Jacinta was there,
maybe our oldest daughter was there. And Angela actually she'd
had a phone call from Mum or Dad, I can't
quite recall which one was. But she asked me if
i'd heard from them, and I said no, I hadn't,
(06:52):
and she said, well, you need to call them because
there's a problem with Nige.
Speaker 1 (06:57):
At Nicki's parents' house, confused and read they've heard from
foreign affairs that their son might be held hostage in Somalia.
Yet Nigel had told his mother he was heading to
Kenya before returning home for a friend's wedding in September.
Speaker 12 (07:13):
There was a lot of time that we were trying
to work out if it was actually accurate or not.
Speaker 10 (07:17):
We started bringing around.
Speaker 12 (07:19):
We rang that a partner foreign affairs who said that
and it took quite a bit to get this out
of them, that no, that was not the case because
it wasn't Nigel Brennan. It was Michael Brennan and it
was unconfirmed and that he was actually in Somalia, and
we were going, well, we know that he's going to
(07:42):
you know, at that point in time, we'd contacted his
girlfriend who was over in Scotland and she said, yeah,
Nigel's in Somalia. And it was when they said, there's
like apparently Mana Lindhout has been napped as well, and
we've gone yet we know Amanda, So it's not Michael Brennan, guys,
(08:05):
it's Nigel Brennan.
Speaker 10 (08:06):
Get your facts right.
Speaker 1 (08:10):
Nigel and Amanda met at Nairobi Airport on August sixteenth,
two thousand and eight to arrange visas and hire a
fixer for their work in Mogadishu, Somalia's capital. A fixer
is a person who is hired to make sure that
they can do their work safely. Nigel hadn't told his
family that he was heading to Somalia.
Speaker 7 (08:34):
It's estimated that one million Demolis have left their homes.
Some have been displaced for years, but the renewed fighting
has forced about six hundred thousand to flee since February
this year.
Speaker 1 (08:45):
In two thousand and seven, the UNHCR reported severe Klan
conflicts in Mogadishu, with aid access blocked by militia controlled checkpoints.
By the time Nigel and Amanda arrived, over one million
people were the placed in Somalia. In Somalia, Nigel and
Amanda state at the Shamo Hotel in Mogadishu. On their
(09:08):
fourth day, Nigel woke up early. He had planned to
join Ugandan troops on patrol before they were scheduled to
visit displaced people's camps. However, he learned it was canceled
after a mortar attack hit the base. The city's constant
fighting made work difficult with their fixer ajo's limiting their
(09:30):
movements for safety. As they prepared to visit displaced people's camps,
Ajos shared unsettling news that left Nigel uneasy.
Speaker 11 (09:41):
We were informed that we would have to lave our
security detail on the edge of Magadishu and then drive
for four or five condas to pick up our next
security data, which was a risk which was really explained
clearly to us, but Commander an asmatic quick decision. We'd
obviously come to try and get a story and let's
(10:03):
go for it, otherwise the day was going to be wasted,
and drove down the road and two or three kimeutes
later we thought what was our security detail was.
Speaker 5 (10:12):
Actually an ambush. So you know, pulled up and there
was a guy standing on the side of the.
Speaker 4 (10:16):
Road in front of his car, and then sort of
noticed very quickly another six or seven guys with naturally
mass spaces and AK forty seven's coming out of the
trays doors. Howdoors of our vehicle were ripped open, and
then we were ripped out of the car and thrown
onto the ground and very quickly then bundled back into
the back seat of our vehicle, so five of us
(10:38):
and then driven for a period of time before we
were taken to a compound, and I guess was the
start of our four hundred and sixty days.
Speaker 1 (10:46):
In captivity in Bunderberg at Queensland, Nicky stayed at her parents'
house after news on Nigel's kidnapping. She slept near their
bedroom fearing a dreaded middle of the night call from
what she calls the boogie man for grown ups, and
just past midnight.
Speaker 7 (11:05):
The call came. The caller, with a slight.
Speaker 1 (11:08):
Accent, introduced himself as Ali umar Aden later referred to
as Adam.
Speaker 10 (11:16):
I was in the sleepout in the office area.
Speaker 12 (11:18):
So they've got sort of like an upstairs downstairs area
and Mum has this selling room.
Speaker 10 (11:22):
Which is going to sleep out in it like a
roll at bed there.
Speaker 12 (11:25):
So I was in that and the phone rang around
about two or three o'clock in the morning, in the
middle of the night anyway, and I picked it up
and he Adan actually announced himself straight away. He said
who he was and asked if I knew who Nigel
(11:46):
Brennan was, to which I responded, he is my brother,
and that he explained. He was quite clear about explaining
that this was a ransom phone call and they were
asking a ransom price of three million dollars US. I
was pretty I was pretty freaked out at that point
(12:07):
in time. Not so much by the fact that, I mean,
the amount of money was ridiculous, so it didn't even
come into consideration. I was more freaked out about the
fact that there was no one else here. There was
no one present too, you know, be able to say, yeah,
(12:30):
that's that's that's how they work. This is this is
the right thing, this is this is what goes on
with phone calls like that.
Speaker 1 (12:37):
After Dan hung up, things escalated. In the following days,
Nikki learned negotiation techniques from the Queensland Police and received
Nigel's first proof of life officer from Foreign Affairs and
the AFP moved into the house, setting up laptops and
a phone to monitor calls.
Speaker 7 (12:58):
A dance.
Speaker 1 (12:59):
Calls continue, but Nikki only heard from Nigel once she
was told these calls were for report building, a key
strategy in negotiation. According to former detective Tom Hart, who
now trains police negotiators in.
Speaker 13 (13:15):
The US, it's all about building a report. So you're
in a negotiation with somebody who's a crisis primarily, and
then the negotiation are different when you're dealing with somebody.
Speaker 5 (13:27):
Like the small case.
Speaker 1 (13:29):
Tom was not part of Nigel Alamanda's kidnap for ransom case,
nor does he handle cases like theirs, but he does
have experience in dealing with types of criminals.
Speaker 13 (13:40):
And negotiating with a number of people who take people hostage.
But it's more of a random, unexpected situation where they've
got into a variety store that did an arm robbery,
end up taking the clerk hostage, and I've negotiated the
situations like that. Other situations are are people who are
(14:02):
distress suicidal and may take a family member hostage, or
if it's a running house fs situations where they will
allow the person to.
Speaker 5 (14:12):
Want to leave.
Speaker 1 (14:27):
By September two thousand and eight, Nigel and Amanda had
been held captive for a month. Islamist insurgents were attacking
peacekeeping bases in Mogadishu, with daily battles reported. A video
aired on Al Jacira showed them in a courtyard claiming
to have converted to Islam. Nigel later called it propaganda,
(14:50):
adding that his calls home were scripted and controlled by
his captors.
Speaker 5 (14:55):
Health territy.
Speaker 4 (14:59):
I think when someone tells you you know that the
best thing you can do is to convert, because if
you don't, once we get around them forward, once we
get around them for you will execute you. But if
you're Muslim, we can't do that. So it was sort
of like you've made the decision for.
Speaker 1 (15:14):
Us, really, Nigel says, they requested an English Qur'an to
stay on their captor's good side. At first, he read
only a few pages, but later used it to pass
the time. Eventually he used the text to point out
contradictions to his captors.
Speaker 4 (15:32):
I sort of call it my Bible to survival, because
I guess I read it and I tried to find
contradictions within the text of what they were doing. Like
they were saying that they were Muslim, and I was
obviously now a Muslim, and I was saying, well, once
I've become a Muslim, you can't you can't actually stand
(15:53):
in my way. And then we would have the sort
of I guess, for want of a better word, pissing
matches where I say, but here in the crown it
says this, and then they would flick through the pages
and said, but here in the crown it says, in
your right hand you hold the slaves and they're like, well,
you're a slave because you're a Christian before you became
a Muslim. And then I'd flick through somewhere else and
(16:15):
find another passage and say that here it says this,
and they're like, you're very good Muslim, like you understand
the crown, and then it flip somewhere else that It
was frustrating, but I think also instilled in them that
I was obviously trying to understand the religion and look,
(16:36):
and I think in some respects that maybe assured me
a little.
Speaker 5 (16:41):
Bit more respect.
Speaker 4 (16:42):
And also, you know, I think bang a mail, but
the fact that I was trying to not only understand
the Cran but also learn some of the verses in Arabic.
Speaker 1 (16:51):
By January two thousand and nine, things shifted in Australia.
Amanda's cameraman and two drivers were released, and Nikki and
at a meeting with Foreign Affairs in Canberra. There she
learned about Nigel's well being and you found interest in
the Qur'an. Nikki often felt left out of updates, but
(17:12):
was told by a unique mandate created by the Australian
and Canadian government for the case, there.
Speaker 12 (17:19):
Would be a you know, it was bureau speak.
Speaker 10 (17:25):
You know, there will be no ransom paid.
Speaker 12 (17:27):
However, you know it may cost two hundred and fifty
thousand dollars to get someone out, hmm, you know that
would be the costs incurred.
Speaker 10 (17:37):
That's how it was presented.
Speaker 1 (17:41):
A month later, Nicki's family learned to contact with Adan
had stopped, and the next of kin phone was moved
to Canberra.
Speaker 7 (17:50):
In March.
Speaker 1 (17:51):
They attended more meetings, including one with Australia's Foreign minister.
Speaker 12 (17:56):
When we'd raised I think at that point in time,
half a million dollars we went to I think it
was Steven Smith at the time.
Speaker 10 (18:04):
And he just said, there's no way we're facilitating that.
We just gone up. Thanks, that's nice. There was a
whole period of.
Speaker 12 (18:14):
Time where you know, the Australian government took it onto
themselves to actually stop or contact whatsoever. So I was
unaware that, you know, there was contact going on, which
you know, apparently there was an AIOBI, but none of
that was getting back to us. And from what I understand,
you know, they were trying to put pressure on him
(18:35):
by not contacting him, which you know John said afterwards,
is complete not of bloody madness.
Speaker 10 (18:44):
Because all of.
Speaker 12 (18:45):
A sudden they're holding onto and feeding and looking after
an asset that is costing them quite a lot of
money and they don't actually see any potential profit in it.
Speaker 1 (18:55):
John Chease, a private negotiator for Ake insurance, was contacted
by the Brennan family for help. He admired the family
but was frustrated with the government's handling of the case.
His involvement would be key to Nigel and Amanda's release.
Speaker 14 (19:18):
And although Al Shabab is not a listed terrorist organization
in Australia, it is here in America.
Speaker 1 (19:27):
By early two thousand and nine, after one hundred and
fifty two days in captivity, Nigel and Amanda's situation worsened
as no ransom was paid. Their captors escalated threats, targeting
Amanda and threatening her life, which led them to plan
and escape.
Speaker 4 (19:46):
From my perspective, it was like, if I'm going to die,
I'm not just going to sit here and take a bullet.
I'm actually going to make this guy's work for its
I guess.
Speaker 5 (19:55):
We looked for weaknesses in the house and found awakeness.
Speaker 4 (19:59):
In the bat room at the back of the house,
which Amanda and I sort of shared and spent two
and a half days with a small little male file
on the end of them now clippers digging out the
mortar of the bricks and lade a hole big enough,
and finally got out in the middle of the day,
ran to a local mask and pleaded for help, and
(20:20):
people there were actually incredibly helpful and we're trying to
protect us, and you know, I think the whole ordeal
sort of lasted for about twenty five minutes before we
were recaptured, and that look, that was probably one of
the days where I thought, you know, we were going
to end up dead.
Speaker 5 (20:41):
You know.
Speaker 4 (20:41):
I can remember after we were recaptured and Amanda and
I were put into the back of the car, you know,
we were removed from the mosque and put into the
back of the car, and I can remember Amanda looking
there and saying, fuck, that was intense.
Speaker 1 (20:55):
The escape attempt worsened their treatment. Nigel was shackled with
minimal movements, his Quran taken, and he and Amanda were
separated for eleven months. In Australia, the Brendan family sought
help from negotiator John Chase, despite warnings from Foreign affairs
who called such negotiators cowboys and advised against it.
Speaker 12 (21:20):
So John rang us twice a day, so once individually
and once was a great conversation with John and Amanda's
mother and myself, and we would discuss what our conversations
and malay of the land conversations would be with Adam
or the following evening or whenever they were meant to happen.
(21:43):
So effectively, it was all about coaching us as to
how to respond. Like our primary directive was always proof
of life. The problem we had at that point in
time was a dan We'd worked out that Adam was
kind of a third party member and they had been
so long at that point in time, it was so
long down the power dema track.
Speaker 1 (22:04):
The crisis management team, including Nikki, her sister in law,
Amanda's parents, and her best friend, met with John Chase.
He revealed that the Department of Foreign Affairs had shared
no information when he took over the case. Raising ransom
money was difficult, but soon unexpected help came, proving vital
(22:26):
for Nigel and Amanda's release.
Speaker 2 (22:39):
The photo journalists Canadian colleague were kidnapped for a million
dollar ransom their families couldn't pay.
Speaker 9 (22:46):
I had my Senate officers in the Cellar Maker place
in Hobart, and I got a call from a journalist
for the Economist magazine. He worked in Africa, but he
was in Hobart writing a book and he gave me
call and asked to have a cup of coffee. So
I did, and he said, what's happening with this Australian
(23:07):
called Nigel Brennan has been kidnapped and has been held
by a criminal gang in Mogadishue. And I said, I
have no idea. I'd never heard of it. I'll find out.
Speaker 1 (23:18):
Boba Brown, former leader of the Australian Greens, confirmed the
kidnapping with the Foreign Affairs and noted the situation looked green.
He said his decision to help the Brennan family came
after a conversation with Nigel's mother.
Speaker 9 (23:35):
No more I thought about it, the more alarmed I
became about the fact that almost nowhere in Australia, besides
that Brennans knew what was happening, there was no media
coverage of it, certainly, and there was no parliamentary or
there appeared to be no bureaucratic action. Impact Worse than
(23:57):
at the Department had taken over the communications with the
people who were holding Nigel an Amanda in Moggid Issue,
and had decided not to communicate with them. I thought
if they didn't communicate with them, that might the criminals
might give up and just release them. But of course
(24:19):
for the family this was harrowing stuff, and they told
the family not to get in contact and they were
really leaving the family out on a limb with a
no action plan. And it was very alarming because it
didn't take too much common sense to know that these
thugs in Moggat Issue would very easily put a bullet
(24:43):
into these people, and they weren't going to go out
of their way to be nice about it, or to
in some way or other release Nigel and Amanda for nothing.
Speaker 1 (24:55):
Bob and his partner Paul donated one hundred thousand Australian
dollars after learning about John Chase and the shortfall in funds.
Bob hoped their contribution would inspire others, but when it didn't,
he began seeking additional support.
Speaker 9 (25:13):
They ended up running sausage sizzles to raise money. They
virtually sold everything they could sell. Iran Dick Smith, he
did hotics been very generous in the past, and I
told him about the plight of Nigel and Amanda and
that the kidnappers were asking one and a half million,
(25:33):
and we had with the Brennans a couple hundred thousand,
but that was all. Now he redue diligence, including contacting
mister Chase or at least sussing out the bona fides
of the middleman from Britain and found him to be
genuine and to have a proven record and the catalong
(25:55):
story short, they can put up amount of money for
most of us, and mister Chase went to work and
made contact with the kidnappers.
Speaker 2 (26:09):
Businessman Dick Smith stepped in branding the federal government's eleven
month attempt of failure.
Speaker 9 (26:15):
In fact, with hindsight, they really didn't know what they
were doing.
Speaker 2 (26:18):
They hired private security experts, something Smith says the government
should have recommended from day one.
Speaker 1 (26:24):
Alongside Nikki and the crisis management team, John Chase was
also assisted by a Somali interpreter based in the UK.
Nikki says the interpreter made communication with a done easier
and helped prevent Adan from trying to raise the ransom amount.
Speaker 12 (26:43):
He was also in a situation where he couldn't negotiate,
and that's what he would tell me, say, I cannot
I can't negotiate. This is the price, this is the
amount of money they have the end, and I.
Speaker 10 (26:56):
Think a done.
Speaker 12 (26:58):
You know, I've tried to worm you know, I don't know,
two and a half thousand dollars out of him or something,
and he's quickly sent a text through to John going
I think we should do this. I'm going to say yep,
to which he did, and so at that point in time,
the deal was made. And that's when John said, right,
(27:19):
get on a plane. I'm going to send I'm getting
you over here. Amanda's mum over my folks came over
as well too, and the Sas boys over here, and
we're going to see how we go moving the money
directly from here to there.
Speaker 1 (27:37):
In Somalia. It was the country's second rainy season and
Nigel and Amanda's fifteenth month in captivity. Nigel said he
hadn't heard from his family in months.
Speaker 4 (27:48):
I think maybe a month before we released. I got
to speak to my sister and she'd sort of said,
you know, if everything goes to planned, you should be
back with us in the next twenty four hours and
that sort of passed, and then our captors had sort
of said, your family have a wasting well, they're wasting
(28:11):
time or something like that.
Speaker 5 (28:13):
And we've been speaking.
Speaker 4 (28:14):
To another group, al Shabab, who I knew was that
class as a terrorist organization, and they had said that
they'd offered pay two million dollars for Amander and myself
and they had a bigger network where they could hold
us for a longer period of time. And so the
day we're actually released, I thought we were about to
be handed on to them.
Speaker 1 (28:34):
Al Shabab was added to the US State Department's terrorist
list five months before Nigel and Amanda were captured. In Australia,
the group was listed in two thousand and nine. Under
Australian law, paying ransom to a group known as a
terrorist organization is illegal if done knowingly or recklessly.
Speaker 12 (28:56):
So it was all just like you know, the end
of a law hard flight and just like bloody hell.
Speaker 10 (29:04):
So yeah, and then then we got to yeah, well
picked up and we went.
Speaker 12 (29:09):
Out to the the hotel that was staying and then
and then the diplomacy games began.
Speaker 1 (29:19):
Nicky arrived in their Robie on November third, two thousand
and nine, with her parents meeting Australian government's reps John Chase,
Amanda's parents and a friend, they finalized a ransom deal
with a don five hundred and forty eight one thousand,
plus an extra one hundred and thirty five thousand, likely
for a Dan himself, just two days before their departure.
Speaker 7 (29:42):
However, upon arrival.
Speaker 1 (29:44):
Communication with a Dance stopped and they were introduced to
new contact replacing him.
Speaker 10 (29:50):
We were booked to go home on the second time.
Speaker 12 (29:55):
When the money went in the second time, I was
just like, yeah, right, that's it, and I'm you know,
at that point in time, we were no longer speaking
to dam They've been sold on once again, and we're
talking to you know, the King King. And fortunately at
that point in time, we were having conversations with our
with our Somalian interpreter at the same time as well too,
(30:17):
so he was in on the phone calls plus Amanda's
mum and I and John at that point in time
that he was just listening to the kidnappers from Nairobi.
Speaker 2 (30:30):
After fifteen months held at gunpoint in lawless Somalia, Nigel
Brennan is on his way.
Speaker 3 (30:35):
Home for four hundred and sixty two days. Our family
has hoped that this day would come.
Speaker 2 (30:42):
In a brief, sometimes difficult media conference, his family revealed
their hell since last August.
Speaker 3 (30:48):
This has been an unbelievably harrowing and wearing ordeal, and
nothing could have prepared us as a family for what
we have gone through since Nigel's capture.
Speaker 1 (31:00):
Twenty fifth, a captor entered Nigel's room, demanding he changed
into new clothes and leave outside. He was ordered into
a vehicle and there was Amanda. He hadn't seen her
since their escape attempt.
Speaker 5 (31:15):
But we were like, what's going on.
Speaker 4 (31:18):
It was sort of late afternoon on dusk, and driven
around for what felt like about two hours until it
was dark, and then we pulled up. You know, we'd
sort of created this convoy of three vehicles, and we
pulled up in the bush somewhere and then we're taken
out of our car and put into like a low
station wagon. Then two guys asked us our names, and
(31:41):
we were there for about maybe ten fifteen minutes, and
then we drove off and left our captors and drove
down the road, and about five k's down the road,
a massive Tonado with a fifty MILLI made a gun
hanging off the back of the sort of blocked our path,
and all of these guys in army fatigues or not
(32:04):
army fatigues, but with AK forty seven's came out and
I was like, oh my god, this this doesn't look good.
And it wasn't until we were taken out of that
there and put into another four wheel drive and a
guy who was in the car he was trying to
calm this down and who was like, why are you
(32:26):
being hysterical because both of us were, and he said,
you've been released. And I think I sort of said, well,
if we've been released, where are the white people?
Speaker 5 (32:36):
Because I couldn't see any white people there.
Speaker 4 (32:40):
And he finally took a phone out of his pocket
and gave it to Amanda, and it was Amanda's name
on the phone.
Speaker 12 (32:46):
There was this whole fear in trepidation because people knew
that they had been paid for and we're thinking cheeses
crist to imagine if someone just breaks it and takes
him again.
Speaker 2 (33:04):
Thirty seven year old Brennan and Canadian journalist Amanda lid
Out were kidnapped while covering the refugee crisis in Somalia seven.
You spoke to him in his hotel today.
Speaker 6 (33:14):
He answered the phone very confidently, said hello.
Speaker 4 (33:17):
I said how are you?
Speaker 11 (33:18):
And he said, I'm okay, I'm great.
Speaker 2 (33:20):
But for months they've been locked up, striped, naked, starved.
Speaker 4 (33:24):
There are times that I was beaten and I was tortured.
Speaker 3 (33:30):
Extremely extremely difficult situation.
Speaker 4 (33:33):
Yeah, it's hard to put inal like I think I
was again because I had sort of compartmentalized my motion.
Speaker 5 (33:40):
I think I just grabbed mum and neck and we
sort of walked.
Speaker 4 (33:44):
We walked into the hospital where I spent the next
five days sort of obviously undergoing a lot of medical
and dental work and those sorts of things, before going
into like another five days of fairly intense psychological work
and working with Istraian Federal Polastics sort of daybreak as
much as I could before I came home.
Speaker 9 (34:11):
I'll never forget being called at dawn one morning by
Peter Style from my office in cambrid to say Nigel's released.
And it was a fantastic feeling that they actually, the
two of them were actually on their way back to Nairabi,
where Nigel's parents were waiting to greet him.
Speaker 1 (34:35):
On February fourth, twenty ten, Bob Brown called for a
Center inquiry into the federal government's approach to Australians kidnapped overseas.
He said the decision came in response to the government's
handling on Nigel's case and others like it.
Speaker 9 (34:52):
So we recommend this Senate inquiry recommended that in future
cases where a it's kidnapped, they're family or friends who
want to help them be told directly in first up
by defat Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade that there
(35:12):
are intermediaries who can help them get to negotiate an
outcome which may lead to the release of their loved ones.
That that was the best avenue to go. Now whether
or not that's happened since I don't know, I don't
think the government and the governments of the day quite
(35:35):
realized the circumstances that a kidnap person's in. In fact,
they are appalling circumstances. It's difficult all around, but that
Senate Inquiry made that recommendation. It's fundamental and will be
fundamental because more Australians will be kidnapped and dangerous places
(35:58):
around the world, and when they are if the government's
not going to take action, it should at least advise
people who want to take action on how best to
do it, and not sit around with it on the
hands for months and refuse to answer phone calls. That's
a deadly, hopeless course of action and it should never
(36:18):
be repeated. It put Nigel and Amanda through months of
hell they shouldn't have had to endure, and that should
not happen again in the future. When the inevitable kidnapping
of another Australian occurs.
Speaker 1 (36:37):
You are listened to seven New Spectrum Taken for Ransom
in Somalia. This episode was produced and voiced by me
Marlon Haglund.
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