Nigerian dancer and hypeman Poco Lee is expected to appear at Snaresbrook Crown Court in London on 15 September over an alleged assault offence, according to Benjamin Kuti, a Nigerian community leader in the UK. Kuti also says the entertainer is currently being held on remand, adding a significant new development to a case that New Daily Prime had earlier traced to a UK court record under the name Iweh Odinaka.
Poco Lee is widely identified as Iweh Pascal Odinaka, while the publicly available British court record uses the shorter name Iweh Odinaka.
New Daily Prime reported earlier on Monday that case 01HT1389526 was listed at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Friday, 21 August, before Her Honour Judge Canavan.
The hearing was recorded as an application for bail, while the Crown Prosecution Service was listed as prosecutor. The publicly available listing does not disclose the alleged offence and carries a warning that reporting restrictions apply.
Nigerian community leader says Poco Lee remains on remand
The latest information came from Benjamin Kuti, popularly known as the Oluomo of Derby, whom PUNCH describes as the founder of a Nigerian community organisation in the UK.
Kuti told the newspaper on Monday that Poco Lee was being held in a UK prison and was expected to return to Snaresbrook Crown Court at 10am on 15 September 2026.
He said: “I can confirm that the reports are true.”
According to Kuti, the September appearance is expected to involve a plea hearing, during which the defendant could be required to indicate whether he pleads guilty or not guilty to the charge before the court.
Kuti said he regularly attends court proceedings involving Nigerians in Britain and intends to be present at the September hearing to offer community support.
He also stressed that the legal process should be allowed to take its course and that anyone accused of a criminal offence remains innocent unless proved guilty.
PUNCH said it had emailed the court seeking confirmation of the September hearing but had not received a response at the time its report was published.
New Daily Prime has also not found a publicly accessible future court listing independently confirming the 15 September date as of Monday. The most recent public record located under case number 01HT1389526 remains the 21 August bail application.
What being on remand means in the UK
If Kuti’s account that Poco Lee is on remand is correct, it means the defendant is being held in custody while the criminal proceedings continue.
UK Government guidance explains that when a court remands an adult defendant in custody, the person is generally held in prison until the next stage of the case unless bail is later granted.
A remand order is not a finding of guilt.
Courts consider bail separately from the question of whether the prosecution can ultimately prove its case. Bail can be refused for reasons including concern that a defendant may fail to attend court, commit further offences or interfere with the administration of justice.
New Daily Prime’s earlier checks found that the 21 August Snaresbrook hearing involving Iweh Odinaka was specifically listed as an application for bail.
The latest claim that he remains in custody would suggest that he had not been released following that stage of proceedings, but the published court record currently available does not state the outcome of the application.
Exact charge still not publicly established
Reports about Poco Lee first began circulating on 19 August, with several Nigerian publications claiming that he had been arrested in Britain over an alleged sexual offence.
Some early reports referred specifically to an alleged rape.
However, the publicly accessible Snaresbrook court listing does not identify the charge, while PUNCH’s latest report describes the matter only as an alleged assault offence.
That distinction is important.
New Daily Prime cannot responsibly state that Poco Lee has been charged with rape unless that allegation is confirmed by a court document, the Crown Prosecution Service, police or another authoritative source whose information can legally be published.
The current court listing also carries reporting restrictions, meaning particular care must be taken not to publish information that the court has prohibited from being disclosed.
New Daily Prime had already traced UK court record
The latest development follows an investigation by New Daily Prime into the initial arrest reports.
Rather than relying solely on social-media claims, the publication checked British court information and found a criminal case involving Iweh Odinaka.
The record showed:
- Defendant: Iweh Odinaka
- Case number: 01HT1389526
- Court: Snaresbrook Crown Court, London
- Date: 21 August 2026
- Time: 10.30am
- Judge: Her Honour Judge Canavan
- Hearing: Application for bail
- Prosecutor: Crown Prosecution Service
Open Court Data says the record was sourced from official HM Courts and Tribunals Service public court lists, while The Law Pages independently carried the same defendant, case number and bail hearing.
New Daily Prime also searched publicly available Crown Prosecution Service information and monitored UK police newsrooms while attempting to establish the nature of the alleged offence.
Those checks have still not produced a publicly available police or CPS statement specifying the charge.
What happens next?
Attention will now turn to whether the 15 September appearance is confirmed in official court listings when the date approaches.
If it is a plea hearing, the court may hear how the defendant responds to the charge and set further directions for the case.
A guilty plea could move proceedings towards sentencing, while a not-guilty plea would normally mean the case continues towards further case management and potentially a trial.
The exact procedure will depend on the offence charged and decisions made by the Crown Court.
Poco Lee has not been convicted of any offence in connection with the UK proceedings, and nothing in the existing court record establishes guilt.
What readers should know
New Daily Prime has independently found a British criminal court record under the name Iweh Odinaka, matching the first and surname of entertainer Iweh Pascal Odinaka, professionally known as Poco Lee. A Nigerian community leader in the UK now says Poco Lee is being held on remand and will appear at Snaresbrook Crown Court at 10am on 15 September 2026 over an alleged assault offence. However, the September date and custody status have not yet been independently confirmed through a publicly available court listing, and the exact charge remains undisclosed. Poco Lee must therefore be treated as innocent unless and until a court finds otherwise.
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