{"id":12398,"date":"2026-08-29T09:32:18","date_gmt":"2026-08-29T09:32:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/beadysword.com.ng\/blog\/?p=12398"},"modified":"2026-08-29T09:59:11","modified_gmt":"2026-08-29T09:59:11","slug":"poco-lee-what-happens-in-nigeria-may-not-fly-abroad-a-warning-to-nigerian-men-about-consent-sexual-violence-and-the-law","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/beadysword.com.ng\/blog\/2026\/08\/29\/poco-lee-what-happens-in-nigeria-may-not-fly-abroad-a-warning-to-nigerian-men-about-consent-sexual-violence-and-the-law\/","title":{"rendered":"Poco Lee,; What Happens in Nigeria May Not Fly Abroad: A Warning to Nigerian Men About Consent, Sexual Violence and the Law"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Beadysword Blog News<\/strong><\/p>\n

The ongoing case involving Nigerian entertainer Iweh Odinaka, popularly known as Poco Lee<\/strong>, in the United Kingdom should serve as a serious warning to Nigerians travelling abroad: the attitudes, excuses and cultural practices sometimes used to minimise sexual violence in Nigeria cannot simply be exported to other countries.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Poco Lee has not been convicted of any offence. According to Nigerian news, the Crown Court in London confirmed that he faces one count of attempted rape, two counts of rape and two counts of assault by penetration. He remains on remand, with a plea and trial preparation hearing scheduled for September 15, 2026. His management has stressed that allegations are not proof of guilt and that the case should be allowed to follow due process.<\/p>\n

That distinction is important.\"\"<\/p>\n

But beyond this particular case is a much bigger conversation Nigeria needs to have.<\/p>\n

You cannot take impunity with you<\/h2>\n

For too long, sexual violence in Nigeria has sometimes been surrounded by dangerous attitudes normalised by our way: \u201cSettle it.\u201d<\/em> \u201cDon’t disgrace the family.\u201d<\/em> \u201cWhy did she go there?\u201d \u201cWhat was she wearing?\u201d They are two adult \u201cMaybe she enjoyed it.\u201d<\/em> \u201cHe is a respected man.\u201d<\/em> \u201cLet the matter die.\u201dYour life is in danger.<\/em><\/p>\n

In some cases, victims and their families are pressured, intimidated or financially persuaded to remain silent.<\/p>\n

These attitudes do not make sexual violence less serious. They make it easier for perpetrators to escape accountability. And encourage more people to commit it, as we are seeing among us every time,<\/p>\n

Amnesty International has documented serious barriers facing rape survivors in Nigeria, including victim-blaming, police failures to properly investigate cases, pressure to settle cases outside the criminal justice system, corruption and inadequate support for survivors. Its research also documented cases involving children and described humiliating and victim-blaming treatment of survivors at police stations.<\/p>\n

That is not a culture Nigerians should be proud of.<\/p>\n

A woman entering your house does not permit you to rape her<\/h2>\n

This needs to be said clearly.<\/p>\n

A woman agreeing to visit a man does not automatically mean she has agreed to sex.<\/p>\n

A woman drinking or food\u00a0 with a man does not automatically mean she has agreed to sex.<\/p>\n

A woman dating a man does not give him unlimited sexual access to her.<\/p>\n

And marriage does not mean a husband has the right to sexually assault his wife.<\/p>\n

Consent matters.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The same principle applies whether the woman is Nigerian, British, American, Ghanaian, South African or from anywhere else.<\/p>\n

Abroad, \u201cwe will settle it\u201d may not save you<\/h2>\n

One of the dangerous assumptions some people carry abroad is that every problem can be handled the way problems are sometimes handled in Nigeria.<\/p>\n

It cannot.<\/p>\n

In countries with stronger institutional responses to sexual offences, an allegation can trigger a formal investigation and court process. The identity and rights of the complainant may be protected, evidence may be collected, and the accused may be required to answer to the criminal justice system.<\/p>\n

That is precisely why Nigerians travelling abroad must understand that their conduct is subject to the laws of the country they are visiting.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The British case involving Poco Lee illustrates the seriousness with which allegations of sexual offences can enter the criminal justice process. Again, this does not<\/strong> establish his guilt. The court must determine the facts.<\/p>\n

The real lesson is not \u201cbe careful with foreign women\u201d<\/h2>\n

The lesson should not be that Nigerian men must be careful because \u201cforeign women will send you to jail.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

That message misses the point.<\/p>\n

The correct lesson is:<\/p>\n

Do not sexually assault anybody.<\/strong><\/p>\n

A Nigerian woman deserves protection from sexual violence just as much as a British woman does.<\/p>\n

A Nigerian girl deserves protection just as much as a British girl.<\/p>\n

A Nigerian boy deserves protection too.<\/p>\n

The problem is not that foreign women have stronger laws.<\/p>\n

we dThe problem is that every woman and every child deserves a society where sexual violence is taken seriously.<\/strong> Unfortunately, we don’t<\/strong>\u00a0have that society<\/strong><\/p>\n

We must stop normalising the abuse of Nigerian women<\/h2>\n

There is also a painful cultural problem that must be confronted.<\/p>\n

When a woman reports sexual abuse and the first question is \u201cWhy did you go to his house?\u201d<\/em>, society has already shifted attention from the alleged offender to the victim.<\/p>\n

When people ask, \u201cWhat did she expect?\u201d<\/em>, they are creating excuses for the wrong person.<\/p>\n

When families accept money to bury a rape allegation, they may unintentionally teach the perpetrator that another victim can also be silenced.<\/p>\n

And when sexual abuse of a child is dismissed as a \u201cfamily matter\u201d<\/em>, society sends a devastating message: that protecting the reputation of adults is more important than protecting a child.<\/p>\n

Nigeria cannot fight rape while protecting rapists<\/h2>\n

Amnesty International previously reported that thousands of rape cases were reported in Nigeria while many survivors struggled to obtain justice. It identified stigma, victim-blaming, police failures, corruption and weak enforcement as factors contributing to impunity.<\/p>\n

This should concern every Nigerian. Be it a man or a woman, you should be worried about this.<\/p>\n

Because when perpetrators discover that victims can be intimidated, families can be bought off, police investigations can be compromised, and cases can be quietly settled, crime becomes easier to repeat., This is reasons whe have more rape cases in Nigeria and will still be having,<\/p>\n

Impunity creates confidence in criminals.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Accountability creates deterrence.<\/p>\n

Nigerian men travelling abroad need to understand the difference<\/h2>\n

If you are travelling to the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Europe or any other country, leave the mentality of impunity behind.Drop it in Nigeria.<\/p>\n

Do not assume that because something was tolerated in your social environment in Nigeria, it will be tolerated abroad.<\/p>\n

Do not assume that a woman’s friendliness means sexual consent.<\/p>\n

Do not assume giving a woman money or a gift means sexual consent<\/p>\n

Do not assume women sleeping over in your house means sexual consent<\/p>\n

Do not assume that alcohol means consent.<\/p>\n

Do not assume that taking a woman to your hotel means she has agreed to everything.<\/p>\n

Do not threaten, force, manipulate or pressure someone into sexual activity.<\/p>\n

And if there is uncertainty, stop and obtain clear consent.<\/strong><\/p>\n

This is bigger than Poco Lee<\/h2>\n

The Poco Lee case should not become an opportunity for Nigerians to condemn him before the court has spoken.<\/p>\n

Neither should it become an opportunity to attack the complainant or spread unverified stories.<\/p>\n

His management has specifically urged the public not to treat allegations as proof of guilt, while the court process continues.<\/p>\n

Instead, Nigerians should use the moment for education.<\/p>\n

Let it remind entertainers, businessmen, politicians, students, tourists and every Nigerian travelling abroad that your passport does not protect you from the law.<\/strong><\/p>\n

And more importantly, let it remind us that the right to dignity and bodily autonomy should not depend on whether a woman is Nigerian or foreign.<\/p>\n

The culture must change<\/h3>\n

Nigeria does not need more silence.<\/p>\n

Nigeria does not need more victim-blaming.<\/p>\n

Nigeria does not need families negotiating away justice.<\/p>\n

Nigeria does not need police officers humiliating survivors.<\/p>\n

Nigeria needs effective investigations, prosecution of credible cases, protection for survivors, child-friendly reporting systems and a culture where sexual violence is condemned regardless of the status, wealth or influence of the accused.<\/p>\n

The message to Nigerian men is simple:<\/p>\n

Respect women in Nigeria. Respect women abroad. Respect children everywhere.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Do not wait until you leave Nigeria before you learn what consent means.<\/p>\n

And never mistake another person’s silence, fear, vulnerability or inability to fight back for permission.<\/p>\n

If you commit a crime abroad, expect the law to deal with you.<\/strong><\/p>\n

And if Nigeria wants to reduce sexual violence, the answer is not to teach women how to avoid men.<\/p>\n

Teach men that women are human beings\u2014not possessions, targets or people who can be silenced.<\/strong><\/p>\n

A woman being naked before you does not give you access to her body; be warned<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Beadysword Blog News The ongoing case involving Nigerian entertainer Iweh Odinaka, popularly known as Poco Lee, in the United Kingdom should serve as a serious warning to Nigerians travelling abroad: the attitudes, excuses...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":12399,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12398","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t