Charly Boy opens up on criminal past ahead of memoir release

Veteran entertainer and activist Charles Oputa, popularly known as Charly Boy, has disclosed that he was involved in white-collar crime during his youth as he prepares to release his memoir, 999.

Speaking on Arise Prime Time, the 76-year-old said the memoir offers an unfiltered account of his life, chronicling the mistakes, struggles, survival, and redemption that shaped his journey.

Charly Boy explained that he deliberately chose to tell his story without concealing embarrassing or controversial moments. According to him, only a few incidents were left out because he could no longer remember them.

“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.

Oputa said he committed several reckless acts in his younger years and at one point engaged in white-collar crime while living in the United States at age 25.

He described that period as part of a series of foolish decisions that, in his view, make his continued survival seem purposeful.

“I’ve made mistakes in my life. 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.

“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 added.

According to him, 999 is intended as an unvarnished record of both failures and triumphs.

The title, he stated, represents a break from the rebellious public image he carried for decades and signals a new phase focused on peace and personal tranquillity.

He attributes this change in outlook to advancing age, adding that he now prioritises rest, exercise, diet, and carefully managing his environment to protect his mental well-being.

“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.”

The activist also discussed his experience surviving prostate cancer.

He said the illness motivated him to support other Nigerian men facing similar health challenges and to challenge cultural expectations that discourage men from speaking openly about vulnerability.

Following his surgery, he spent close to two years offering guidance to strangers who reached out for advice on personal and health-related matters.

“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.”

“999 is expected to be published in the coming months. The memoir is projected to cover Oputa’s five decades in music, activism, and public life, alongside the personal experiences he says shaped his current outlook.”

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