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The sexual offence case involving Nigerian dancer and entertainer Iweh Odinaka, popularly known as Poco Lee, remains active in the United Kingdom, with his plea and trial preparation hearing scheduled for September 15, 2026.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) confirmed the development in response to an inquiry by PUNCH Online on Saturday.

The CPS Press Office said Odinaka remained scheduled to appear before Snaresbrook Crown Court on September 15 for a Plea and Trial Preparation Hearing (PTPH).

“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.

A PTPH is a pre-trial hearing at which matters relating to a defendant’s plea and preparations for trial are considered.

The CPS clarification followed reports circulating online claiming that Poco Lee had been released from a UK prison and that the complainant had withdrawn from the case or that the matter had been settled out of court.

However, the CPS did not clarify whether Odinaka had been released from custody or remained on remand.

PUNCH Online also contacted Snaresbrook Crown Court for clarification on his current custody or bail status but was yet to receive a response at the time of the report.

Odinaka is facing five sexual offence charges in the UK — attempted rape, two counts of rape and two counts of assault by penetration.

Snaresbrook Crown Court had previously confirmed that the case was listed for a plea and trial preparation hearing on September 15.

The court also imposed a reporting restriction to protect the anonymity of the complainant under Section 1 of the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 1992.

The case followed Odinaka’s visit to the UK in August for the Davido and Friends concert held at Crystal Palace Bowl in London on August 14.

Odinaka has not been convicted of any offence, and the allegations against him are yet to be determined by the court.

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The Ondo State Government, on Wednesday, confirmed the deaths of 24 residents of Odigbo Local Government Area of the state following the consumption of a herbal liquid substance.

No fewer than 24 residents of two communities in the council area, Araromi Obu and Odigbo town, reportedly lost their lives after consuming the substance.

The incident, which was said to have occurred on Saturday, has thrown the affected communities into mourning.

A source in the area who pleaded anonymity told our correspondent that the deceased consumed the substance at different locations on Saturday but later became unconscious, leading to their deaths. At the same time, some others who also consumed it were rushed to hospitals.

The source said, “They (the deceased) drank the herbal substance and started dying. Eight people died in Araromi Obu while 16 others lost their lives in Odigbo town, but we have yet to confirm if it was what they drank that killed them. But we are sure that the people died after drinking the herbal drinks.

“Some of the people died in their sleep while some died when they got home, and many are still in the hospital as I am talking to you.”

Confirming the incident in a telephone interview with our correspondent, the Chairman of Odigbo Local Government Area, Mr Taiwo Adegoroye, said the deceased consumed the substance before the incident, adding that they were waiting for a medical team to carry out an autopsy to determine the actual cause of the deaths.

Adegoroye said, “We can confirm the death of 24 people, eight in Araromi Obu and 16 in Odigbo town, and many are still on admission at hospitals. But we have yet to ascertain the cause of the deaths, and we are still waiting for the team from the state Ministry of Health to carry out the test on the deceased. That is why we can’t specifically say the real cause.”

The chairman also said he had banned the sale and consumption of locally brewed alcoholic drinks in the area as a precautionary measure.

According to him, a preliminary verbal autopsy conducted by the local government health team indicated a possible link between the reported deaths and the consumption of the substances.

In the same vein, the state Commissioner for Health, Dr Banji Ajaka, also confirmed the incident in a telephone interview, saying investigations were underway to establish the actual cause of the deaths.

Ajaka did not immediately disclose the specific substance suspected to have caused the deaths but said medical and health officials would conduct further assessments in the affected communities.

“The government is taking the matter seriously, and we will provide more details after the ongoing investigation has established the circumstances surrounding the incident.”

Meanwhile, some youths in the town staged a mini protest to the palace of the Odigbo traditional ruler to demand explanations and urgent measures to prevent further loss of life.

Addressing the youths, the monarch of the town, Oba Rufus Akinrinmade, appealed for calm and assured them that efforts would be made to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the deaths and find a lasting solution to the situation.

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Aesthetic and dermatology physician, Dr. Mobola Savage, has cautioned that non-surgical penis enlargement using injectable fillers carries serious risks, following the death of Nigerian-British businessman and social media personality, Igho Ubiribo.

Reacting to reports of Ubiribo’s death in a post on X shared on Tuesday, Savage said the procedure is still an invasive medical treatment and “non-surgical does not mean risk-free.”

“And perhaps the biggest lesson from this tragedy is that non-surgical does not mean risk-free. Penile filler is still an invasive medical procedure involving highly vascular anatomy,” she wrote.

Ubiribo, 43, died after undergoing a penile filler procedure while on holiday in Bangkok, Thailand.

According to evidence presented at an inquest at the Inner West London Coroner’s Court, 40ml of hyaluronic acid and lidocaine was injected into his penis at an unnamed clinic.

A UK coroner ruled the cosmetic procedure caused a fatal pulmonary embolism. A postmortem examination reportedly found material in Ubiribo’s lungs consistent with the hyaluronic acid used in the procedure.

The businessman, also known as “Tiny”, “Denisi” and “Ego”, had travelled to Thailand with his wife, Danielle Simba Allen. After the procedure, they returned to their hotel. During a massage, Ubiribo complained of chest pain and fainted twice. He was rushed to Sukhumvit Hospital, where he spoke to doctors and told them about the recent injections.

Doctors suspected a pulmonary embolism and recommended a CT scan, but he reportedly lost consciousness before it was done. He was moved to ICU where CPR was performed for over 100 minutes. He died in the early hours of March 6.

Pathologist John du Parcq told the inquest the material found in Ubiribo’s lungs matched the filler substance and was consistent with a pulmonary embolism — a blockage in a lung blood vessel that puts severe strain on the heart.

Ubiribo had a history of joint surgery and was described as pre-diabetic with gout, but his GP reportedly said he had no other major health conditions.

*Doctor’s warning on safety*
Savage explained that the procedure Ubiribo had was not conventional surgery but non-surgical penile augmentation with hyaluronic acid filler, mainly used to increase girth, not length.

“What immediately stood out to me was the reported 40ml administered in one treatment,” she said. “Penile augmentation does require larger volumes than facial aesthetics, but this raises an important conversation about how we approach volume.”

She advised that augmentation should be staged rather than done all at once, and tailored to a patient’s anatomy, tissue capacity and goals.

“There is a tendency for patients seeking penile enhancements to focus on ‘How many mLs am I getting?’, as though more filler automatically means a better result. It doesn’t work that way,” she said.

Savage also noted that many HA fillers contain lidocaine. While she said there was not enough evidence to link lidocaine toxicity to Ubiribo’s death, she said total anaesthetic exposure must be considered in large-volume procedures.

She further warned that medical tourism can create pressure to complete treatment in one visit.

“When someone has travelled internationally for treatment, there can be pressure to achieve the entire desired result in one visit because returning for staged treatment may be difficult. But travel schedules, convenience and even patient demand should never override clinical judgement,” she said.

According to her, the safety of penile filler depends on patient selection, anatomy, product choice, injection technique, appropriate volume, and the ability to manage complications.

“Patient selection, anatomy, product choice, injection plane and technique, appropriate volume, total local-anaesthetic exposure and the ability to recognise and manage complications all matter. More is not always better. And faster is not always safer,” she said.

Penile fillers with hyaluronic acid are marketed as a less invasive way to increase girth, but Savage stressed they still carry potentially serious complications.

Her warning comes as Ubiribo’s death draws fresh attention to the risks of cosmetic procedures done abroad.