Social media has become the dominant tool for activists, and the explosive international intrigue surrounding the Nigeria-based #EndSARS movement illustrates that its ability to connect international audiences is as striking as its ability to activate domestic interests. SARS in this case stands for Nigeria’s secret police, the now-defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad.

The #EndSARS movement is a youth-led resistance against SARS. Citizens accuse SARS of extrajudicial abuses including theft, assault, rape, torture and murder.

Originally launched in 2017, it gained international recognition on October 3 after a video captured SARS officers killing a man in Nigeria’s Delta state region, sparking tens of thousands of protesters into action. Social media has been the tool used by protesters during subsequent deadly clashes with police officers, as traditional media fails to live up to its promises.

“The traditional media, the TV stations and radio stations here, are biased. They show you what was not actually happening. With social media, we were able to show what was happening with the movement in the country and the abuses,” said 22-year-old Nigerian activist Ndochukwu Arum, who declined to give his last name, in an interview with Lifewire.