Veteran entertainer and activist Charles Oputa, popularly known as Charly Boy or Area Fada, has made startling confessions about his troubled youth, admitting he engaged in theft and white-collar crime before turning his life around.
In a candid interview on Arise Prime Time, the self-styled rebel revealed unfiltered accounts of his mistakes, survival, and redemption.
“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.”
The outspoken icon disclosed that while living in the United States in his twenties, he became involved in white-collar crime before eventually changing his ways.
“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 said advancing age has shifted his priorities from confrontation to personal growth, peace, and service to humanity.
“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 about surviving prostate cancer and using his experience to support other men facing similar health battles, encouraging them to speak openly about their struggles.