Entertainment
Nicki Minaj will then perform in London on Thursday following her controversial arrest and release
Nicki Minaj fans were left angry after the American rapper’s gig at Manchester’s Co-op Live arena was called off at the last minute, following her arrest at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport.
Minaj was arrested on suspicion of exporting soft drugs before being fined 350 euros (£300; $380) and allowed to continue her journey, Dutch authorities said.
The artist didn’t make it to Manchester in time for her concert on Saturday, which was postponed as about 20,000 fans were in the arena waiting for her to take the stage.
They included Imogen Pope, 18, from Newton-le-Wilows in Merseyside, who said she was “pretty livid”.
“I spent £150 for my ticket and booked a day off work for it, and we sat there for about three hours waiting and we got told it’s not happening,” she said. “I’m gutted.”
Ellis Day, 17, from Cheshire, said he was “absolutely devastated”.
“We’ve come here, we spent all day getting ready, to see this happen.

Kian Young (left) said the concert should have been called off earlier
“It’s just really disappointing when we’ve got our hopes up and spent the money, and we get told at the very last minute that she’s not going to show up.”
Fans were let into the arena at 19:00 BST, and were hopeful that the gig would go ahead right up until the announcement about the postponement, which came just after 21:30 BST – around the time she had been expected to come on stage.
There were some boos in the Manchester arena, before everyone filed out.
According to videos on social media and flight data, the plane thought to be transporting Minaj was still in Amsterdam when the Manchester show was postponed.
“I’m disappointed because I saw this afternoon that Nicki Minaj got arrested in Amsterdam,” said Kian Young, 23, who had travelled from Scunthorpe in Lincolnshire.
The arrest was beyond the arena’s control, but Mr Young was one of many to question why no official statement was made earlier.
“I’m confused as to why the Co-op arena hasn’t spoken to its fans. Why didn’t they cancel it at 17:00?
“Everyone’s come – my missus is crying. Why not tell us it’s cancelled before bringing us in?”
It is the latest problem to hit the new £450m arena, which has also been forced to postpone or move gigs by the likes of Olivia Rodrigo, Take That and Peter Kay in recent weeks after suffering a string of delays and technical problems.
Olivia Gibson, 21, from Newcastle, said she was now an “ex fan”, and Minaj has a track record of running late and should have allowed more time to travel.
“I feel appalled. But also, in a way, I’m not shocked,” she said.
“And it’s not the Co-op Live’s fault. She’s just let all her fans down.”
Another ticket-holder, Anna, travelled from Poland with her boyfriend, and said they had spent about £1,000 on the trip in total.
“I’m very angry because my boyfriend gave me a ticket for the concert for Valentine’s Day,” she said. “We flew from Poland for this concert.
“She knows it is sold out here. It’s a lot of money.”
Other die-hard fans refused to blame Minaj.
Shaz Shah, 23, from Manchester, said: “What’s happened tonight is definitely not the artist’s fault – it’s an issue that’s happened in another country and it shouldn’t be taken out on her.
“Co-op Live should have been a bit more transparent and told us a bit sooner. People have booked days off work, they’ve bought tickets, just for it to be cancelled. The matter should have been escalated sooner.”
On social media, Minaj said she was in a jail cell for between five and six hours, and finally arrived at her hotel in Manchester around midnight.
“They succeeded at their plan to not let me get on that stage tonight,” she wrote on X, without saying who she was referring to.
“Please please please accept my deepest & most sincere apologies.
“They sure did know exactly how to hurt me today but this too, shall pass.
“They’ve been doing this over & over & over & over & over again & I’ve tried so hard to not discuss it b/c [because] you guys deserve to just get the good stuff. I hate involving you in anything that isn’t for entertainment purposes only.”
She said she hoped to announce a rescheduled date on Sunday, promising an “added bonus” for those with a ticket.
Earlier, Minaj filmed part of her arrest, posting it to social media on Saturday afternoon.
In the video, a police officer could seemingly be heard telling her: “You are under arrest.” She was seen telling him she was not carrying drugs.
The music star posted a series of messages on X. “They took my luggage without consent,” she wrote in one. In another she added: “This is Amsterdam btw [by the way], where weed is legal.”
Dutch prosecutors have told local media she was carrying 30 to 100 grams of cannabis – but Minaj claims “the pre-rolls” belonged her security guard.
It is technically against the law to possess, sell or produce drugs in the Netherlands. But the country operates a policy of toleration towards the sale or possession of small amounts of some drugs.
In a statement, promoters Live Nation said: “Nicki Minaj’s scheduled performance at Manchester’s Co-op Live on Saturday 25 May has been postponed.”
“Tickets will remain valid for the rescheduled performance which will be announced as soon as possible.
“Despite Nicki’s best efforts to explore every possible avenue to make tonight’s show happen, the events of today have made it impossible. We are deeply disappointed by the inconvenience this has caused.”
Co-op Live posted the same statement.
Minaj is due to continue her tour in Birmingham on Sunday, then visit London and Glasgow, before a second scheduled date in Manchester on Thursday.
Entertainment
If You Have Ever Slept With My Husband, Let Me Know, I Will Pay You – Actress Lizzy Anjorin Dares Ladies (Video)
Lizzy Anjorin, the Nollywood actress, has praised her husband’s bedroom skills while sending a pointed message to women who have been intimate with him.
The actress cum businesswoman in the post via her Instagram page was seen speaking in the Yoruba language about her husband, noting that she is willing to pay anyone who has slept with him.
Lizzy Anjorin outlined certain things ladies should know about her husband if they ever crossed paths with him, including his bedroom style and food preferences.
According to her, her husband deserves all the women in the world because he is a very good man.
Slamming critics, Lizzy Anjorin questioned whether what she said about her husband would put food on their table or feed her children.
She said, “If you have ever slept with my husband, let me know. I’ll pay you. That man deserves good p**sy.
“There is a particular style he likes. When he sees you, he’ll tell you. When you come across him, take him in, shower for him, he’ll tell you the food he likes. Play with him, I’ll pay you. He works so hard. He is a very nice man.
“Infact, my husband deserves every woman on planet. My husband slept with someone, okay. Is it that act that is helping us with our project?
“Is that what is paying my children’s bills or my bills?”
https://www.instagram.com/p/DVa-3rOCDEv/?igsh=MWRmeHBlYzVjczN6NQ==
Entertainment
Asake Flaunts $1 Million Gold Rings After Historic EP Success
Nigerian singer and Afrobeats sensation Asake has made headlines with a lavish display of rare gold jewellery following the release of his record-breaking collaborative EP with Wizkid titled Real, Vol. 1.
In videos circulating on social media, Asake was seen showcasing two custom-made gold rings inspired by ancient Egyptian themes, a gold-plated Cleopatra ring and another etched with hieroglyphic designs.
The twin pieces are reported to have cost about $1 million (roughly ₦1.3 billion).
Photo credit: Instagram

Entertainment
R@pe Allegation: Popular Nigerian Singer, Simi Reacts To Accusation Of Being Pedophile
Nigerian singer and songwriter, Simisola Kosoko, popularly known as Simi, has responded to backlash over old social media posts that resurfaced after she spoke against rape.
The controversy followed renewed online debates triggered by the Mirabel TikToker case.
Simi had stated that men should stop raping women and that rapists should be castrated.
She added that almost every woman she knows has been sexually assaulted.
Days later, screenshots of tweets she made between 2012 and 2013 began circulating online.
Addressing the issue on Sunday, she wrote, “I haven’t been on twitter today – but someone brought a few of my old tweets to my attention and I can’t not address it.”
Simi explained that the posts were made in 2012 while she lived with her mother and helped at her daycare centre.
“In 2012, I lived and helped out at my mom’s daycare while I was hustling my music.
“I tweeted everything that happened in my life, as we all did at the time,” she stated.
She said the tweets reflected casual observations about children at the daycare.
“Kids can be mischievous. If a child did something I found funny, I tweeted about it. Kids are cute and lovable.
“I want to hug, kiss and cuddle them. I tweet about it. Nothing I tweeted was from perversion,” she wrote.

Among the posts widely shared was a November 12, 2013 tweet that read, “I wonder if anyone’s ever used breast milk to bake cake before.”
Other resurfaced tweets included, “David has a crush on me. He kips comn close; actin lik he wana lock lips n den he puts his head on my lap. Shd I giv him a chance? P.S: Hes 4.”
Another read, “love to kiss d kids at my mum’s daycare – they’re super adorable and I’m crazy abt ’em.”
A further post stated, “Why this 4yr old boy tryna put hand inside ma shet????? Ogbeni wash it oh!”
Simi insisted the remarks were never intended to suggest anything inappropriate.
“What I can’t let anyone do is twist my story to fit false narratives,” she said.
She disclosed that some of the posts had been deleted due to the sensitivity of the matter.
“My team has been deleting some of my tweets because of how sensitive it is for my family. To be honest, I did not want to,” she added.
Reaffirming her position, she said, “I’ve never been depraved in my life.”
On sexual violence, she maintained, “I have always spoken against rape and sexual assault, even before you knew I existed. It’s not a costume I’m wearing, it’s who I am.
“I’ve never claimed to be perfect. I’ve never claimed to know everything. I said stop raping women. I stand by it.”
The development continues to generate debate on social media, with differing interpretations of the old posts.
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