A ZIMBABWEAN man caused panic at a Canadian airport after claiming he planned to plant a bomb in a major city and had been exposed to radioactive material.

A court heard Dube arrived at the Montreal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport on May 5 last year following a trip to Zimbabwe.

Dube, who is believed to have fled the domestic violence rap, told customs officers he had never been to Canada, despite fingerprint evidence showing he was lying.

Dube said he had returned to Canada to make a bomb in Montreal, which was designed to explode at a prison facility. This, he said, was the only way he could ensure the safety of his family who were endangered in the United States.

To support his claim, Dube, who wore a T-Shirt bearing the emblem of the University of Southern Methodist (USM) in Dallas, Texas, whipped out of his pocket what appeared to be a building plan of a prison.

Digging himself further into a hole, Dube told authorities that jihadist commandos were going to storm USM and kill workers constructing a library funded by former President George W. Bush.

But in one final salvo which had emergency services scrambling, he told authorities he had a stomach ache – the result of repeated exposure to radioactive materials.

According to the RCMP, Dube admitted inventing the story to avoid being tried in Alberta, where he was involved in a case of domestic violence.

However, Alberta authorities may also seek to revive the domestic charges. He is also said to be wanted by authorities in the United States on fraud charges.

By Special correspondent