Charly Boy: Biafran War scandalised my youth, shook my faith in one Nigeria

Charles Oputa, a veteran singer better known as Charly Boy, says his experience during the Biafran War, which took place between 1967 and 1970, shook his faith in one Nigeria.

The 68-year-old crooner, who is known for producing socially conscious music, took to his Twitter page on Saturday to commemorate both civilians and armed men who were lost in the civil war between the Nigerian government and secessionist state of Biafra.

Charly Boy said the terrors of the war scandalised his youth and shook his faith as an ardent advocate of one Nigeria.

“Today we remember the genocide and the atrocities of the Biafran civil war and the 3million of our brothers, sister, and children who lost their lives,” he wrote.

“Today marks a very sad day for Igbo’s all over. I was 18yrs during the war, it scandalized my youth, shook my faith in 1 Nigeria.”

Today marks a very sad day for Igbo’s all over. Today we remember the genocide and the atrocities of the Biafran civil war and the 3million of our brothers, sister and children who lost their lives. I was 18yrs during the war, it scandalized my youth,shook my faith in “1 Nigeria” pic.twitter.com/5sE1YAwJyr

— Charly Boy Area Fada 1 (@AreaFada1) May 30, 2020

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Charly Boy’s tweet was accompanied by a picture portraying emaciated children of the southeast, which had recorded several infant deaths that were attributed to starvation and kwashiorkor.

The controversial entertainer has made the news on several occasions for his unapologetic stance on issues of social importance, including his claim that about 96 percent of the pastors in Nigeria are fake.

“I can’t be singing about boobs and nyash. I sing about things that piss me off, about people’s frustration, my frustrations,” he had once said.

“I sing about the fact that Nigeria is sliding deeper into the abyss because of our inactions. I can’t sing about love either because we don’t even have love for one another.”