A House of Representatives ad-hoc committee, investigating alleged payments by government agencies to firms and individuals from 2013 till date, has summoned the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, Hameed Ali, a retired army general.

Ali was invited to explain the payment of about N250 million to a firm – Fortis Insurance – as insurance cover.

The probe panel, headed by Adekunle Akinlade, noted that the company to which the huge sum was paid was not licensed to operate, adding that the Customs boss did not submit any memorandum to the committee on the matter.

The committee therefore wants the Comptroller General to appear before it on Wednesday to explain the situation.

In a related development, the Akinlade-led probe panel said it also discovered the payment of the sum of N105 million by the Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, to another unlicensed insurance company, Chrome Insurance.

Top officers of some other insurance companies were also questioned by the committee over payments made to their firms.

They include: Chief Executive of Guinea Insurance Plc, Isioma Omoshie- Okokuku; the Technical Executive Director of NICON Insurance, Akinsola Ade, as well as the Managing Director of Niger Insurance, Kola Adedeji.

The insurance companies were directed to produce relevant documents on their engagement by government for the insurance contracts.