Nigerian dancer and entertainer Iweh Pascal Odinaka, popularly known as Poco Lee, remains under an active sexual offence case in the United Kingdom, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has confirmed, contradicting widely circulated claims that he had been released after his accuser withdrew from the matter.
Odinaka is facing five charges: attempted rape, two counts of rape, and two counts of assault by penetration. He was remanded following his visit to the UK in August for the Davido and Friends event at the Crystal Palace Bowl in London on August 14. Snaresbrook Crown Court confirmed the charges in August and imposed a reporting restriction under Section 1 of the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 1992 to protect the complainant’s identity.
The claim that Odinaka had regained his freedom originated from Nigerian content creator Habeeb Hamzat, known as Peller, during a livestream on September 11. Peller told viewers the complainant had withdrawn her case.
“Yes o, guys, Poco Lee is out,” Peller said, adding that the woman involved had abandoned the legal action.
He went further, crediting the withdrawal for Odinaka’s reported release, though he offered no documentation or official source for the claim.
Responding to an inquiry from PUNCH on Saturday, September 12, the CPS Press Office confirmed the case remains ongoing.
“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 said, referring to the Plea and Trial Preparation Hearing scheduled for that date.
The CPS did not clarify whether Odinaka had been released from custody or remained on remand, leaving his current custody status unconfirmed as of press time. Snaresbrook Crown Court had not responded to requests for clarification at the time of reporting.
News of the reported release drew mixed reactions online. Some social media users celebrated, with posts describing Odinaka out at a club and being welcomed home by supporters. One post credited musician Burna Boy and Odinaka’s friend Rahman Jago for working “behind the scenes” to secure his release.
Others questioned the account. Commentator Daniel Regha argued that a case cannot simply be dropped by an accuser, since only a prosecutor holds that authority. He stated that even a withdrawn case would not amount to proof of innocence, maintaining that Odinaka is still scheduled to appear in court on September 15 and said the matter should be allowed to run its course.
Rahman Jago, a friend of Odinaka’s, had earlier appealed for restraint and compassion while the dancer was on remand, saying there was more to the case than the public knew.
Odinaka has not been convicted of any offence, and the allegations against him remain undetermined by the court. His Plea and Trial Preparation Hearing is scheduled for September 15, 2026, at Snaresbrook Crown Court in London. Until an official statement is issued by the court or the CPS, his custody status and the standing of the case remain unverified beyond the confirmation that the matter is still active.
