HOW POPULAR FASHION DESIGNER, DAKOVA WALKED HIMSELF INTO NDLEA NET.

By wole Arisekola
With the status of David Kolawole Vaughn in Nigeria’s fashion industry, no one would have thought anything shady could be traced to him. He is unarguably one of the best designers in Nigeria and his fame extends to other West African countries; he is simply respected for his creative designs. What he lacks in height, he has it in popularity. He became popular way back in the 1980s. Back then his designs were for the rich and famous; his clientele included all the “happening” big boys in Lagos. It was a fad to be associated with Dakova. His friends list too swelled in no time and most big parties were incomplete without him. He graced quite a number of them and in no time, he became a toast of a good number of celebrity magazines.
Things changed for Dakova like many other Lagos celebrities when the General Musa Bamaiyi led NDLEA swooped on the big boys and girls, especially those suspected to be connected with drug deals or money laundering. Not many people had the effrontery to throw lavish parties. Not a few of David Kolawole Vaughn’s clients went underground. The famous designer however took it in his stride and moved on, his business continued and he never for once stopped being on the list of the top rated designers in the country.
Unknown to many, like a lot of big boys and babes on the social scene, the celebrated designer has been under the NDLEA’s searchlight for some time.
A few people raised eyebrows when it seemed Vaughn was leaving the job that brought him fame. To many, there is absolutely nothing wrong in getting another stream of income but when he chose to open a champagne club in Abuja, it became clear that there was more to it than fashion designing.
Those who know Dakova well will tell you he is not a man that stretches his luck too far but things have not been too rosy for some time now. NDLEA sources disclosed that a consignment of drugs weighing 100kg coming into Nigeria from Brazil was intercepted in February and when the supposed owners were queried, one of them opened up that the real owner was Dakova. A source chipped in that the financial constraint he found himself in must have made him try out his hand in it at this time knowing fully well that the war against drugs has assumed a new dimension. Aside his Aristotle champagne bar in Abuja, he was already looking forward to owning a television station which would have been the first fashion television channel in Nigeria. Another of his dreams also was to represent Lagos State at the National Assembly in 2011. “For all these, he needs money” a source disclosed. Speaking further, the source said “how he gets it is the issue because hardly can one finance such big projects with funds from fashion designing.” He had already strategized and his political machinery would have been set rolling in the next few months, though his close friends and associates say he is still consulting.
When he was picked up by men of the Force Criminal Investigation Department in February, most socialites assumed it was a case of mistaken identity, since the Dakova they know has never been into politics. No one looked in the direction of drugs, the argument then was that politics should be left for politicians. On the other hand, it is an open secret that some of his associates have had their share of happenings on the drug scene lately. For instance, Akindele Ikumoluyi, better known as Ile Eru was issued a long jail sentence sometime ago while Lukman Alade Olatunji, fondly referred to as “Toto Abuga” was assassinated in what seemed to be the fallout of a deal that went awry.
It is not unlikely that with this occurrence, the drug law enforcement agency would beam its searchlight on those in the fashion industry now.