CCC Report: Customs, DSS, NDLEA Lead Positive Media Coverage in December 2025
The Centre for Crisis Communication (CCC) has disclosed that the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), the Department of State Security Service (DSS) and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) dominated positive media coverage in December 2025, as Nigeria’s security, intelligence, military and emergency response agencies recorded strong national visibility driven by major operations, reforms and inter-agency collaboration.
According to the CCC’s December 2025 Media Review, an independent assessment of thousands of reports across traditional and online platforms, public perception of Nigeria’s Armed Forces, security and paramilitary institutions, intelligence agencies and emergency responders was largely positive. The review analysed coverage across four broad sectors Armed Forces, Security/Paramilitary, Intelligence/Anti-Corruption, and Response Agencies and found high levels of media engagement linked to operational successes, leadership initiatives and coordinated institutional actions.
In the security and law enforcement sector, which includes the Nigeria Police Force, NCS, NDLEA, Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) and Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), the agencies collectively recorded 61 per cent positive, 33 per cent fair, and 6 per cent negative media coverage.
Individually, NCS and NDLEA emerged as the strongest performers, each recording over 70 per cent positive visibility, largely driven by high-profile seizures of cocaine, tramadol, cannabis, petroleum products and record-breaking revenue interceptions. The arrest of major drug traffickers and smuggling kingpins further boosted their public image. The NIS and NCoS also enjoyed largely positive or neutral coverage, reflecting improved operational effectiveness and growing inter-agency cooperation.
The Nigeria Police Force remained one of the most visible institutions during the period, driven by headlines around the recruitment of 50,000 constables, festive-season security deployments and major criminal arrests. However, the CCC noted that the Police also faced pockets of negative publicity linked to press-freedom concerns, misinformation incidents and isolated cases of violence.
The Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) comprising the Defence Headquarters (DHQ), Nigerian Army, Nigerian Navy, Nigerian Air Force (NAF) and the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) recorded 40 per cent positive, 40 per cent fair, and 20 per cent negative media coverage. Positive reports highlighted significant counterterrorism gains, including the rescue of 318 kidnapped victims, the disruption of oil theft valued at over ₦217 million and multiple successful military operations nationwide. The Nigerian Air Force also earned commendation for its strong showing at Nigeria’s first international airshow.
Fair coverage of the Armed Forces centred on editorials and analytical pieces calling for deeper reforms and enhanced inter-service coordination, while negative reports focused on terror attacks, abductions, leaked memos related to terrorism financing and isolated cases of misconduct. The CCC observed that 83 per cent of all military-related reports originated from online platforms, underscoring the growing dominance of digital media in shaping national security narratives.
