UK court confirms rape, four other sexual offence charges against Poco Lee

Nigerian dancer and entertainer Iweh Odinaka, popularly known as Poco Lee, has been formally charged in the United Kingdom with five sexual offences, including two counts of rape.

Snaresbrook Crown Court in London confirmed that the five charges comprise one count of attempted rape, two counts of rape and two counts of assault by penetration.

The court’s Admin Team Leader, James Baker, confirmed the charges in correspondence with PUNCH and said the case is listed for a plea and trial preparation hearing on 15 September.

“The defendant has been charged with: Attempted rape, 2x Rape, 2x Assault by penetration,” Mr Baker said.

The disclosure provides the clearest official account yet of the case against Poco Lee since reports of his detention in the UK emerged earlier this month.

The court also confirmed that a reporting restriction is in place to protect the complainant’s identity.

Mr Baker said the restriction protects the complainant’s anonymity under Section 1 of the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 1992. This means information capable of identifying the complainant must not be published.

Poco Lee has not been convicted of any offence. The charges remain allegations to be determined through the UK judicial process, and he is entitled to the presumption of innocence.

Remanded in UK

PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that Poco Lee was being held on remand in a UK prison, according to Benjamin Kuti, popularly known as the Oluomo of Derby and founder of the Community of Nigerians in the United Kingdom.

Mr Kuti, who has said he supports Nigerians involved in legal proceedings in the UK, confirmed that the entertainer was in custody and expected to return to court in September.

Snaresbrook Crown Court has since confirmed 15 September as the date for Poco Lee’s plea and trial preparation hearing.

The hearing represents the next stage of the criminal proceedings and is not the trial itself.

The information released by the court does not provide further details about the circumstances surrounding the alleged offences.

How the case emerged

Reports of Poco Lee’s detention began circulating online around 18 and 19 August, initially with limited information about the nature of the allegations against him.

The entertainer had been in the UK earlier in the month and appeared at the Davido and Friends concert at Crystal Palace Bowl in London on 14 August.

Reports of his detention surfaced several days later. There is, however, no information in the court confirmation establishing a connection between the concert and the alleged offences.

At the time the detention reports first emerged, the precise charges had not been publicly established, leading to several claims and conflicting accounts on social media.

The latest confirmation from Snaresbrook Crown Court establishes for the first time the full breakdown of the five charges Poco Lee faces.

Management calls for restraint

Before details of the charges became public, Poco Lee’s management and legal team urged the media and members of the public to refrain from spreading unverified information about the case.

In a statement dated 25 August and signed by Adedoyin Faleye on behalf of the entertainer’s management, the team said the matter was before the UK courts and should be allowed to proceed through the appropriate legal process.

“Allegations are not evidence of guilt, and no conclusions should be drawn until the matter has been heard and determined through the appropriate legal process,” the statement said.

The team specifically disputed claims circulating online that the case involved alleged “drink spiking”, saying such claims did not form part of the allegations or charges before the court.

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“We are particularly concerned by the volume of unverified narratives currently circulating, including claims referencing ‘drink spiking,’ amongst other allegations which do not form part of any of the allegations or charges before the court,” the statement read.

The management said introducing details not contained in the case could spread misinformation and unfairly prejudice those involved.

It added that further information would be released through official channels when appropriate.

Separate US allegation

The UK proceedings have also renewed attention on a separate allegation made by Nigerian rapper Ms Jorji, who accused Poco Lee of attempting to sexually assault her and a friend during an alleged encounter in Dallas, Texas, in 2024.

Ms Jorji alleged that she and her friend visited the entertainer while she was seeking advice and mentorship concerning her music career, before the encounter allegedly became uncomfortable.

Her allegation remains an unverified public claim, and there is no established connection between it and the criminal proceedings in the UK. Poco Lee has not been reported to have been charged in relation to the alleged Dallas incident.

Poco Lee is scheduled to return to Snaresbrook Crown Court on 15 September for a plea and trial preparation hearing.