Claim: “From my source, Biago sent this woman to the U.S.”
Source: Yekeh Kolubah on Spoon Talk
Verdict: Unproven
Full Text: Yekeh Y. Kolubah, embattled "former" lawmaker of Montserrado County District #10, claimed on the August 11, 2026 edition of Spoon Talk (1:53) that Precious Rue — who was recently appointed by President Joseph Boakai as Deputy Director General for Operations at the Liberia Drugs Enforcement Agency (LDEA), was sent to the United States by former LDEA Officer in Charge Fitzgerald Biago. "From my source, Baigo sent this woman to the U.S., and she and Baigo had traveled together; that's how close they are," Kolubah claimed.
As of the time of this check, the post has garnered 455 shares, 5,000 comments, and 1.6K reactions.
Verification: To verify this claim, The Stage Media checked the United States Embassy's official Facebook page and discovered a May 9, 2026 post confirming that Rue had participated in the U.S. Department of State's International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) project on "Dismantling International Criminal Networks."
The post read: "We proudly recognize Precious Rue, Chief of Leeward for the Liberia Drugs Enforcement Agency, who recently returned from the U.S. Department of State's International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) project on 'Dismantling International Criminal Networks.'
During the three-week exchange, Precious engaged with U.S. law enforcement and criminal justice professionals to examine strategies for disrupting illicit networks, countering transnational crime, and strengthening regional security cooperation.
The program also highlighted the importance of international partnerships, information sharing, and coordinated enforcement efforts in addressing evolving security threats across borders."
The Embassy post added, "The knowledge and professional connections developed through the exchange will support ongoing efforts to strengthen cooperation against transnational threats in Liberia and across the region. The IVLP is the U.S. Department of State's foundational professional exchange program and connects leaders with American counterparts to advance collaboration, security, and the rule of law in support of shared international security priorities."
To further verify Kolubah's claim, we contacted the United States Embassy in Monrovia on August 15, 2026, to understand how selection for the IVLP works. The Embassy is yet to respond to our inquiry. When they do, this story will be updated.
We also spoke with Titus Tokpah, Communication Director of the National Election Commission and an IVLP fellow, who said participants are selected based on the work they have done in their home country.
Tokpah explained that a person is either recommended by a senior U.S. Embassy staff member or by an IVLP fellow, based on their professional work. As an example, he said,
"I have taken part in IVLP and then they want somebody from Liberia or my professional area, like in the media, and they asked me to recommend a journalist to participate in the IVLP nomination process, because they have also asked others who have participated for a nomination as well. Those names that will be nominated, the embassy will look at their profiles and, based on the significant impact they have had in their home country, a person will be selected."
Tokpah said the selection process has nothing to do with a person's office or their boss.
We also contacted Dennise Nimpson, a communication specialist at United Bank for Africa and an IVLP fellow, who currently serves as acting secretary general of the IVLP fellows in Liberia. Nimpson said the program is merit-based, with vetting done according to the impact of a person's work:
"It is impact-driven... let me put it this way: based on what you have done in your professional journey, that's how you get nominated for the program. And when you get nominated, they will call you for an interview to know whether the nomination is right."
Nimpson noted that nominees' names are also sent to Washington for a separate vetting process to confirm their identity and the legitimacy of their contributions to society. She added that the process is not a matter of being "hand-picked"; some nominees have failed to make it through vetting despite being nominated. She said the process has nothing to do with a person's personal institution, as it runs directly through the U.S. Department of State via the Embassy.
This researcher also checked the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs Exchange Programs website and confirmed that eligibility for IVLP participation requires nomination by U.S. embassies around the world.
Conclusion: Based on our research, the claim that Rue was sent to the U.S. by Biago is Unproven. We discovered that Rue participated in the State Department IVLP visitor’s fellowship that requires a nomination from the U.S embassy which is straightly given by merit and impacts not office or boss selection selection, therefore, there is no evidence that Baigo sent Rue to the USA.
