Commercial sex workers were on Friday evicted from a hotel at Ugbague area of Benin in Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State over fear of possible spread of coronavirus in the area.

Speaking with journalists, the Owner of the facility who only gave his name as Osagie, said the eviction became necessary because of the way the virus spreads from person-to-person.

He said there is high possibility that if one of the prostitutes contracted the virus , she will spread it to her colleagues in the brothel.

He said, “I asked the prostitutes occupying my buildings to go home and meet their children and families at their various states because if any man who has the virus, meets any of them, they can easily share it among themselves.

“Like me now, I have children and I can’t ask my children not to embrace me and you know that these prostitutes are occupying my buildings and I am the one managing the facilities and so, I asked them to go home and stay with their children until the coronavirus is over”

According to him, it is better to die of hunger than to die of a disease. He said some have gone home and that those still hanging around could not travel to their states due to closure of inter-state borders, lamenting that he has spent over N2,000 in taking care of them.

“Though a brothel business has not been legalized in the country, I have to help to curtail the spread of the virus by asking them to take a break and go home.”

The commercial sex workers who declined comment on their eviction, said ” they ask you to stay at home, you are still moving around and refused to patronise us.”

Daily Trust