Ighomuaye Lucky, Benin
A brothel owner Mr. Osagie (other name withheld) at Ugbague in Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State has evicted prostitutes occupying his facility for fear of spreading Covid-19.
He said the eviction became necessary because of the way the virus spreads from person-to-person, adding that there was high possibility that if one of the prostitutes contracted it, she might spread it to her colleagues.
“I asked the prostitutes occupying my buildings to go home and meet their children and families in their various states.
“They should go home because any man who has the virus, may be he comes from other state and he has the virus and infected them with the virus, they can easily share it among everybody here.
“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 am afraid; so, that is why I asked them to go home and stay with their children at home until the Coronavirus of a thing dies down.
“My brother, it is better to die of hunger than to die of a disease,” he said
Osagie said those still hanging around were those who could not travel to their states because of the closure of the inter-state borders.
The brothel manager said he had spent over N2,000 in taking care of those who couldn’t travel back to their states.
Osagie thanked the governor of the state for the partial locked down noting that while other states had completely shut down their borders, the Edo State government had decided to be lenient with its citizens.
He said although a brothel business has not been legalized in the country, he still has it as a duty to help curtail the spread of the virus, stressing that, that was why he decided to ask those occupying his buildings to take a break and go home.