Charly Boy Opens Up About 'Foolish Mistakes' and Corporate Crime in Youth
 |
| Charly Boy (Nigerian singer-songwriter and TV show host) |
Veteran entertainer and activist Charles Chukwuemeka Oputa—better known to the public as Charly Boy—has opened up about his troubled past, confessing that he dabbled in white-collar crime and made plenty of "foolish mistakes" as a young man.
He reveals that these wild years are fully documented in his upcoming autobiography, titled 999.
Speaking on the news programme Arise Prime Time, Charly Boy explained that he made a deliberate choice to tell his life story exactly as it happened. Rather than airbrushing out the embarrassing or controversial bits, he insisted that the book is an honest look at his journey through past mistakes, survival, and ultimate redemption.
“I’ve made mistakes in my life,” he said.
“I’ve been a thief. I’ve done very risky things. I’ve done very stupid things, very foolish things. In fact, I have no business being here with you tonight, but I guess there’s a purpose for my life.”
Elaborating on his past, the self-proclaimed "Area Fada" revealed that he got mixed up in white-collar crime while living in the United States during his twenties, before eventually turning his life around.
“I was doing white-collar crime when I was in America. I was about 25 years old. I was doing a lot of stupid stuff. That’s why I say I’ve been there.”
Charly Boy explained that those formative experiences made him the person he is today, driving his decision to write a completely honest account of his life.
Describing 999 as "a terrible kind of book," he told viewers that readers should brace themselves for an unfiltered memoir that exposes his failures and greatest triumphs.
“I don’t leave anything out. The only few things I left out were because I genuinely couldn’t remember them. Otherwise, everything is there.”
According to him, the title 999 represents a brand-new chapter in his life, rather than the rebellious bad-boy image that many Nigerians have associated with him for decades.
“I’ve been smart, I’ve been stupid, I’ve been foolish. Old things have passed away. This is a new beginning for me. All I want now is peace and tranquillity.”
The activist explained that getting older has completely changed his outlook on life, leading him to trade confrontation for personal growth and a commitment to helping others.
“Before, I was always asking, ‘Where is the trouble? Let’s go there.’ Right now, I know how to shut off stress. I’m a sleep professor. I exercise, I watch what I eat, the company I keep and even what I watch on television because I don’t want anything disturbing my spirit.”
Charly Boy also spoke at length about his battle with prostate cancer, explaining that surviving the illness inspired him to support other Nigerian men facing similar health struggles.
“I wanted to free a lot of men because we’ve been brainwashed into believing men don’t cry and shouldn’t talk about what they’re going through.
“After my surgery, I spent almost two years speaking with complete strangers who called me for advice. They trusted me enough to tell me very intimate things.”
On the state of the nation, Charly Boy maintained that despite the growing frustration felt by many Nigerians, he remains genuinely optimistic about the country’s future.
“No matter how dark the tunnel is, I still believe the salvation of this country lies in the hands of young people.”
Reflecting on the strained relationship he had with his late father, the former Supreme Court Justice Chukwudifu Oputa, Charly Boy explained that he rebelled simply because he wanted to carve out his own identity outside of his father’s formidable shadow.
