The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Muhammadu Bello has ordered the FCT police command to arrest and take traffic offenders to a psychiatric hospital for immediate test when arrested for floating any traffic laws.
The directive was contained in a statement issued by the minister’s Chief Press Secretary, Muhammad Sule, which added that the FCT health and human services secretariat should station ambulances at traffic interchanges to convey any motorist arrested by the police to the hospital for the psychiatry test.
The statement read: “Malam Bello instructed the police to also permanently station the speed bikes provided by the inspector-general of police at various traffic intersections for the purpose of sternly enforcing the directive.
“He remarked that the bills for the psychiatry test and administrative processes should be borne by the erring motorists to serve as a deterrent.
“The minister further instructed that if the arrested motorist is certified to be all right and medically fit by the psychiatric doctors, then the culprit should be prosecuted to face the consequences of his/her bizarre action.
“Malam Bello has thus directed the police to immediately commence the exercise.
“The Nigeria police force has already deployed very senior officers within the ranks of assistant superintendent of police and inspectors to man the speed bikes to ensure high level of discipline from them to curb impunity and work in disciplined, efficient and effective manner.”