THE sexual offence case against Nigerian dancer and entertainer Iweh Odinaka, popularly known as Poco Lee, remains active in the United Kingdom, with prosecutors confirming that he is due before the Snaresbrook Crown Court on Tuesday for a plea and trial preparation hearing.
According to Punch, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said the case remained before the court and that Odinaka was scheduled to appear on September 15.
“This case is still live, and Odinaka is still set to appear for a PTPH at Snaresbrook Crown Court on 15 September 2026,” the CPS Press Office said.
The confirmation comes amid unverified reports circulating online that the entertainer had been released from a UK prison and that the complainant had withdrawn the allegations or that the matter had been settled out of court.
The CPS response did not state whether Odinaka is currently in custody or has been released on bail.
The September 15 proceeding is not the substantive trial but a Plea and Trial Preparation Hearing (PTPH), which is a key preliminary hearing in Crown Court proceedings.
According to the CPS, the first Crown Court hearing is normally the PTPH, where the charges are read to the defendant and he is asked to formally enter a guilty or not guilty plea.
The judge also deals with case-management issues and, where necessary, sets directions and arrangements for a subsequent trial.
If Odinaka pleads guilty to all the charges, the judge may proceed to sentencing either immediately or at a later hearing, depending on the circumstances.
If he pleads not guilty, the judge will normally set a trial date and issue directions on matters that must be completed before the trial.
The ICIR reported that Odinaka is facing five sexual offence charges in the UK Snaresbrook Crown Court of attempted rape, two counts of rape and two counts of assault by penetration.
Court administrator James Baker also confirmed that a reporting restriction had been imposed to protect the identity of the complainant under Section 1 of the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 1992.
The restriction means that information capable of identifying the complainant cannot be published.
The entertainer’s management has also urged the public and the media to avoid spreading unverified accounts of the case.
In a statement dated August 25, the management said allegations were not evidence of guilt and that no conclusions should be drawn until the proceedings had been determined through the appropriate legal process.
The management specifically rejected reports that drink spiking formed part of the charges before the court, saying such claims were not contained in the allegations against Odinaka.
Reports of Odinaka’s detention in Britain began circulating in Nigeria in August, shortly after he travelled to the UK.
He had been in London for the Davido and Friends event at the Crystal Palace Bowl on August 14.
Nanji is an investigative journalist with the ICIR. She has years of experience in reporting and broadcasting human angle stories, gender inequalities, minority stories, and human rights issues. She has documented sexual war crimes in armed conflict, sex for grades in Nigerian Universities, harmful traditional practices and human trafficking.