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Nigerian rapper Ms Jorji has publicly accused dancer and entertainer Iweh Pascal Odinaka, popularly known as Poco Lee, of attempting to sexually assault her and a friend in Dallas, Texas, approximately two years ago. Jorji made the allegation in a video shared on Instagram amid reports circulating online that Poco Lee had been arrested in the United Kingdom over the allegation of rape.
According to Jorji, she and her friend visited Poco Lee at his Dallas apartment while she was still up-and-coming and attempting to establish himself in the music industry. She said she had gone to seek advice after Poco Lee invited her over, believing the meeting would be an opportunity to receive guidance from someone already established in the Nigerian entertainment industry.
“I was so excited,” Jorji said, recalling the meeting. She explained that Poco Lee knew her friend from school in Nigeria and that the three of them were familiar enough for her to feel comfortable visiting him. Jorji said the interaction changed after she showed him her music and told him that she was married at the time.
“Next thing I know, this man grabs my breast,” she stated, saying she immediately slapped his hand away and confronted him. She said she initially attempted to dismiss the incident and continue the meeting, but that Poco Lee subsequently turned his attention to her friend.
“He kept grabbing her breast, pulling her dress up.”
According to her account, she and her friend attempted to leave the apartment after the behaviour continued. She recounted that Poco Lee then grabbed her friend and attempted to pull her towards a room, prompting both women to physically resist him. She said they managed to get away from the apartment and left that night. Jorji said she contacted her then-husband after the incident and described herself as in shock. She explained that they did not report the incident to police at the time because they believed they “didn’t have enough to go to the police.”
Explaining that she regarded the incident as an attempted assault. The decision to speak publicly two years later, she said, was partly influenced by the current allegations surrounding Poco Lee. Jorji said she believes the reported UK case is credible because of what she says she personally experienced. She also addressed criticism over why she had not spoken about her experience earlier. According to her, Poco Lee’s greater visibility and influence in the entertainment industry contributed to her silence.
“He was a way bigger artist than me, he had way more fame, and I didn’t think anyone would believe me.”
Jorji further said that she confronted Poco Lee about the incident at a show in Nigeria approximately two years ago. She said a photograph from the encounter, which she described as showing her holding him in a headlock, later circulated online. She said that she warned him at the time not to repeat the behaviour. Jorji’s account has since circulated widely online, with the allegation becoming a separate point of discussion from the unverified reports concerning Poco Lee’s alleged arrest in the UK.
So what is known about the reported UK case? Reports began circulating on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, claiming that Poco Lee had been arrested in the United Kingdom over an allegation of rape. Arise News reported the claim but noted that details of the offence, including the identity of the complainant, the circumstances of the allegation and whether formal charges had been filed, remained unclear. The outlet also stated that it had not independently verified the arrest through UK authorities or a court. As of the latest available reports, Poco Lee has not publicly addressed either the reported UK arrest or Jorji’s allegations.
Beyond her allegation against Poco Lee, Jorji says her experience is part of a wider industry problem and explained in the video what she characterised as a broader pattern of sexual misconduct she has encountered while attempting to establish herself as an artist. She said that she has previously encountered men in the music industry who behaved sexually towards her during professional interactions, including men who she claimed exposed themselves and propositioned her.
“He’s not the first person to proposition; he’s not the first rapist, or predatory Afrobeats artist to try this”
Her comments point beyond the individual allegation and towards a wider problem about how power operates within the entertainment industry, particularly when emerging female artists depend on established male artists, producers, promoters or other industry figures for access, mentorship and career opportunities. Jorji’s account also points out the difficulty many women face in reporting sexual misconduct when the perpetrator holds substantially greater social or professional power. She said she wishes she had spoken publicly about her experience earlier.
“I really wish I told the story two years ago, maybe it would have saved the girl.”
The responsibility for investigating allegations of sexual violence lies with the appropriate authorities. The responsibility of the public, however, should not be to turn women who disclose sexual violence into defendants in the court of public opinion. The focus should remain on what she says happened.
