Children adopted by Mercury Liggins

Liggins' children, ranging in age from 8 to 17, were discovered a month ago at the Nigerian orphanage by an American missionary. The children, some of them suffering from typhoid and malaria, told the missionary they were from Houston and wanted to go home. The church's pastor told two U.S. congressmen and arrangements were made to return them to Texas.

Liggins said her only mistake was trusting her brother-in-law to care for the children in Nigeria. The relative took money she sent for the kids' benefit, causing the children to be kicked out of their boarding school and put in the squalid orphanage, she said.

The children, adopted from US foster care, initially were taken to Nigeria in October so she could take a job in Iraq, working for Houston-based Hallilburton subsidiary KBR.

Date: 2004-03-01

Placement type: Adoption

Type of abuse: Non-lethal physical abuse, Non-lethal neglect

Abuser: Adoptive mother

Location

Houston, Texas
United States

See map: Google Maps