Nollywood actress, Funke Akindele, has appealed to Nigerians to support 32 children with special needs who were rendered homeless after a court-ordered eviction displaced them from Magnificient Therapy Services, their therapy centre in Yaba, Lagos.
Akindele, who took to her Instagram page on Monday, said she was moved to act after watching a video of the affected children and their belongings strewn outside the facility.
‘This video was sent to me today, and honestly, it broke my heart. Seeing children living with autism, dyslexia, cerebral palsy and other special needs displaced and lying outside with their belongings is deeply upsetting’, the actress wrote.
She noted that her post was not intended to attack any party involved in the dispute, but to mobilise support for the children.
‘This post is not to discredit or attack anyone involved. I simply want to use my platform to encourage support for these children during this difficult time. I have contributed in my own little way, and I’m appealing to anyone who can help in any way possible. No child deserves to be left helpless’, she wrote.
It was had earlier reported that 32 children living with autism spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, dyslexia, and other developmental conditions were displaced after Magnificient Therapy Services was forcibly evicted from the building it had occupied for 16 years, following a court-enforced action arising from a prolonged tenancy dispute.
The centre, founded in 2010 in a modest two-bedroom apartment with just two children, had gradually grown into a fragile but vital refuge where children often excluded by society could receive care, therapy, and attention tailored to their specific needs.
Orphans and children without immediate guardians were moved into an uncompleted building as a temporary arrangement, while concerned neighbours stepped in to provide short-term shelter.
Some parents who had entrusted their children’s care to the centre arrived in panic following the eviction and hurriedly took them home, though not all families had that option.
Akindele urged those who could do more to extend further support to the displaced children.
‘Please, whatever support you can give will go a long way. If you’re able to do more, kindly help them. Let’s show these children love, kindness, and humanity’, she wrote.
