I have been a thief, I’ve no business being here – Charly Boy

Veteran entertainer and activist, Charles Oputa, popularly known as Charly Boy, has opened up on the darker chapters of his life, admitting that he once engaged in white-collar crime and made several reckless mistakes in his youth.

The self-styled Area Fada made the revelation during an interview on Arise Prime Time, where he spoke about his forthcoming memoir, 999, which he described as a brutally honest account of his journey through rebellion, mistakes, survival and renewal.

Charly Boy said he deliberately refused to sanitise his story, insisting that the book captures both the shameful and triumphant parts of his life.

“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.”

The veteran entertainer disclosed that while living in the United States in his twenties, he became involved in white-collar crime 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,” he said.

According to him, those experiences shaped his present outlook and informed his decision to tell his life story without pretence.

Speaking on the memoir, Charly Boy described 999 as “a terrible kind of book,” saying readers should expect an unfiltered account of his failures, struggles and victories.

“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,” he said.

He explained that the title 999 represents a new chapter in his life, different from the rebellious public image 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,” he said.

Charly Boy said age and experience have changed the way he approaches life, noting that he now prioritises peace, health and personal discipline over confrontation.

“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,” he said.

The activist also spoke about his battle with prostate cancer, saying the experience pushed him to support other Nigerian men dealing with similar health challenges.

He said many men suffer in silence because of societal pressure that discourages them from speaking about pain, fear or illness.

“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,” he said.

On Nigeria’s future, Charly Boy said despite the frustration and hardship in the country, he remains hopeful that young Nigerians can still drive meaningful change.

“No matter how dark the tunnel is, I still believe the salvation of this country lies in the hands of young people,” he said.

Reflecting on his relationship with his late father, former Supreme Court Justice Chukwudifu Oputa, Charly Boy said his youthful rebellion was partly driven by his desire to create an identity outside his father’s towering reputation.

He said his life has been marked by defiance, mistakes, reinvention and survival, adding that his new memoir is not an attempt to present himself as perfect, but to show the full weight of his journey.