Veteran entertainer and activist Charles Oputa, popularly known as Charly Boy, has made startling revelations about his troubled past, admitting that he engaged in white-collar crime, shoplifting, drug abuse and committed several “foolish mistakes” in his youth, sharing these confessions during an interview on Arise Prime Time where he discussed his forthcoming memoir, 999, which he describes as a brutally honest account of his journey from rebellion to redemption. The outspoken media personality, who will turn 76 in June, said he deliberately chose to tell his life story without filtering out embarrassing or controversial moments, insisting that the book reflects his journey of mistakes, survival and transformation.
Speaking candidly about his past, Charly Boy did not hold back, saying, “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.” Explaining further, the entertainer disclosed that while living in the United States in his twenties, he became involved in various criminal activities before eventually turning his life around, stating, “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.” In previous interviews, Charly Boy provided more details about his troubled youth, admitting to being involved in “all manners of crime including shop-lifting, marrying multiple women, substance and drug abuse,” and noted that he discovered early the dangers of drugs because he realised what drugs had done to other people.
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Charly Boy described 999 as “a terrible kind of book,” explaining that readers should expect an unfiltered memoir that exposes both his failures and triumphs, saying, “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 symbolises a new chapter in his life rather than the rebellious image many Nigerians have associated with him for decades, adding, “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 memoir, which comes nine years after his first book My Private Part, is divided into seven parts and covers his heritage, childhood memories, his time in America, his “gangsta life,” his return to Nigeria, his activism, relationships, and his philosophy on life, with former President Olusegun Obasanjo writing the foreword and tributes by Bishop Hassan Kukah and Dele Famoroti. The book is set to be launched on July 31, 2026, at the Mike Adenuga Centre, Ikoyi, Lagos, with Charly Boy saying “999” is “wider, it’s more, it is blunter,” with many stories not included in his previous work.
Charly Boy also reflected on how his past experiences shaped the person he has become today, revealing that his purpose now lies in helping others, particularly men facing health challenges, and spoke extensively about surviving prostate cancer, saying the experience inspired him to support other Nigerian men facing similar health challenges. “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,” he explained, adding, “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.” Through the Charly Boy Foundation, he has launched a nationwide prostate cancer screening campaign to educate men about risks, encourage regular screening, and promote early treatment, with the foundation running mobile screening outreaches in rural communities and partnering with labs to bring testing closer to the grassroots, with over 500 men already benefiting from free prostate tests funded by the foundation.
Speaking further, Charly Boy said advancing age has changed his outlook on life, replacing confrontation with personal growth and service to humanity, stating, “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.” On the state of the nation, Charly Boy maintained that despite growing frustration among Nigerians, he remains optimistic about the country’s future, saying, “No matter how dark the tunnel is, I still believe the salvation of this country lies in the hands of young people.” Reflecting on his strained relationship with his late father, former Supreme Court Justice Chukwudifu Oputa, Charly Boy said he rebelled because he wanted to build an identity outside his father’s shadow, noting that his life has been marked by defiance, mistakes, reinvention and survival, and adding that his new memoir is not an attempt to present himself as perfect but to show the full weight of his journey.