google directions api returning zero routes

Question

I'm trying to make use of the directions api to draw route on map. I created the interface below so I can call the getRoutes() Function inside the interface in the mainactivity and access texts from edittexts and pass them as the origin and destination, but when I use the interface, it returns an empty route with status = not found. (Mind you, the texts from the edittext is from the places api, so its a valid address)

RoutesResponse(error_message=null, routes=[], status=NOT_FOUND)

the below is the interface:

interface RouteService{
    @Headers("Content-Type: application/json")
    @POST("https://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/directions/json")
    fun getRoutes(
        @Query("origin") origin: String,
        @Query("destination") destination: String,
        @Query("mode") mode: String,
        @Query("key") apiKey: String
    ): Call<RoutesResponse>
}

The only time the interface works is when I remove the "@Query" just like it is below.

interface RouteService{
    @Headers("Content-Type: application/json")
    @POST("https://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/directions/json?destination=Nadia Bakery, Benin City, Nigeria&origin=Hall 2 (Tinubu Female Hostel), Benin City, Nigeria&key=API_KEY")
    fun getRoutes(): Call<RoutesResponse>
}

The above isn't efficient, as I cannot pass texts from the edittext as origin and destination.

How else do I do this so I can be able to use texts entered in the edittext as the origin and destination?