Nigerian Dancer Poco Lee Remanded in Custody Over East London Rape Charges

A 29-year-old Nigerian dancer and entertainer has been remanded into custody after appearing in court charged with multiple severe sexual offences, including two counts of rape in East London.

Iweh Pascal Odinaka, who is originally from Lagos and is professionally known to his millions of followers as Poco Lee, appeared before Thames Magistrates' Court on 18 August.

The defendant was formally remanded to remain in secure custody until his next scheduled court appearance at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Tuesday 15 September, where he is expected to enter pleas to the five charges he currently faces.

The criminal proceedings follow a police investigation into alleged offences that are said to have taken place in the London borough of Tower Hamlets on 23 July.

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The Crown alleges that the 29-year-old carried out two counts of rape, one count of attempted rape and two counts of sexual assault by penetration.

Prior to his arrest, Odinaka had built a significant profile as a high-energy street dancer and had been active in the capital promoting upcoming UK appearances after previously performing alongside major Afrobeats artists at prominent venues including London’s O2 Arena.

Following the emergence of the allegations, Odinaka's management team issued a formal statement on 25 August addressing the ongoing legal proceedings.

The team urged the public to allow the judicial process to run its course and cautioned against presenting the allegations as facts before a trial has taken place.

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The management categorically denied circulating online rumours that the incident involved drink-spiking, explicitly stating that such claims do not form part of the allegations currently before the court and warning that the introduction of unverified details only fuels misinformation and causes unfair prejudice to all parties involved.

The representatives stressed that their client has not been convicted of any offence and that all allegations remain unproven.

Despite the serious nature of the charges, members of the UK-based Nigerian community have publicly rallied around the defendant.

Benjamin Kuti, known as the Oluomo of Derby and founder of a Nigerian community organisation in Britain, confirmed that Odinaka is currently on remand and stated his intention to attend the September hearing at Snaresbrook Crown Court to support the dancer

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Supporters have reiterated that the defendant must be treated as innocent unless and until he is proven guilty in a court of law.

In a separate development that is not connected to the ongoing London charges, Texas-based Nigerian rapper Ms Jorji recently published videos online containing historical allegations against the entertainer.

She claims that the dancer attempted to sexually assault her and her girlfriend approximately two years ago during a visit to his home in Dallas.

These older allegations have not been independently established by a court or law enforcement agency and hold no connection to the current five charges before the British courts.

All matters concerning the defendant in the UK remain Crown allegations until a formal verdict is reached.