Some commercial sexworkers in Benin City, the Edo state capital, have accused officials of Edo State Migration Agency of extortion. The sex workers were arrested on Monday night during a raid by officials of the Agency in a bid to rid the state of drug and human trafficking.

They were reportedly profiled at the agency and later released to go home. However, the sex workers, on Wednesday, cried out that they were extorted between the sum of N15,000 and N50,000 after they were released. They claimed that they were promised that their video won’t be posted on the internet, but were shocked that their video were shared in the social media without their faces covered.

The aggrieved sex workers showed evidence of receipts of the payment to one, Uyinmwen Uyigue. Speaking on the issue, one of the sex workers, who does not want her name in print, said: “I am still in shock. I couldn’t get myself since last week Thursday.

“Edo State Migration Agency recorded us with a promise not to post the video after collecting N50, 000 each but they went ahead to post it. I have proof of money paid through POS to them. I was shocked when friends and family members stated calling me that they saw my video on tik-tok and Instagram”.

When contacted, Uyigue confirmed collecting money from four sex workers but said the money he collected was fine paid by owners of lodge where the sex workers stay. He said the lodge owners under the auspices of GRA Hospitality Forum agreed on a fine of N50,000 for any of their girls caught in the street hawking sex. Director General of the Migration Agency, Lucky Agazuma, said the agency was well funded and would not resort to extorting money from sex workers.