Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) on Friday inaugurated a special patrol team codenamed “Cobra Squad’ in the FCT, preparatory to the July 1 commencement of mental test on recalcitrant traffic law violators.

The move came a day before the planned nationwide enforcement of mental stability/psychological test on traffic offenders by the commission.

The test would focus on life threatening violations, such as use of phone while driving, route violation, traffic light violation, dangerous driving and overloading.

Corps Marshal, Boboye Oyeyemi, inaugurated the squad, along with 10 equipped patrol motorcycles, five vans and an ambulance, dedicated to the exercise in the FCT.

He used the occasion to reiterate his warning against assault of FRSC personnel in the country, stressing that the commission would press for maximum punishment of culprits.

Oyeyemi said he would personally lead the FCT squad, adding that similar teams and logistics would be deployed at the zonal level before the end of July.

He explained that the special patrol would be outside the normal patrol activities of the commission in the FCT and other parts of the country.

FRSC officials are law enforcement agents funded by the government to ensure the safety of Nigerians on the road, but road users, especially passengers, are fond of assaulting them.

The Corps Marshal said flashpoints of traffic violations in the territory would be effectively manned by FRSC officials and backed by ambulances.

Oyeyemi, who noted that his announcement of the mental stability test had been misinterpreted by a section of the public, said the commission would, however, remain focused in the discharge of its responsibilities.

He said the commission must not allow few lawless drivers to endanger the lives of other road users, urging all hands to be on deck in the FRSC to restore sanity to the nation’s highways.

He also solicited the cooperation and support of the public, private and commercial drivers and other road users.