LAGOS, (Reuters) – The head of Nigeria’s stock  exchange yesterday denied being among debtors owing banks  billions of dollars, the latest high-profile business figure to  join a showdown with the country’s new central bank governor.

The regulator last week published a list of firms and  individuals, including some of Nigeria’s most powerful tycoons,  who it said owed 747 billion naira ($5 billion) to five banks  bailed out to prevent a systemic banking crisis.

Anti-corruption police have declared the former heads of two  of the banks — Cecilia Ibru and Erastus Akingbola from Oceanic  Bank <OCBK.LG> and Intercontinental Bank <INBK.LG> — wanted in  connection with fraud, insider trading and money laundering.