When federal agents knock on his door, the life Clifford Ubani has built with his family in America changes forever.

He built this life with dreams but no illusions. When he came to Houston, Clifford’s cousin greeted him with a warning: These white people don’t like you; they hated you the moment you set foot into their country.

Born in Abia, Nigeria, Clifford worked from a young age to support his family and pursue his education before travelling to America to pursue further opportunities. He played by the rules, a dedicated student studying criminal justice. Hoping to change the system from the inside, he gained a greater understanding of both sides of the law. America is where Clifford reunited with the love of his life under surprising circumstances and raised a special family.

A friend to other Africans and both black and white Americans, he gained a reputation as a probation officer whose training and background helped to connect the dots in difficult cases. Still, as a black officer, he got praise while others got the promotions. And after he leaves the probation department to become an entrepreneur, the dream is attacked: Clifford is indicted on multiple accounts of fraud and conspiracy.

His confidence in justice is quickly shaken when it becomes apparent that the true conspiracy lies behind his arrest and prosecution—an attempt to punish a black man for doing well.

In a system where African Americans are disproportionately represented, where cursory and inaccurate processes can lead to undervalued lives ruined by wrongful conviction, he prepares to fight every step of the way for what he knows is right.

A Nigerian American Family and the U.S. Justice System is the searing true story of American racism from an African perspective, an insider’s look at how so-called justice can betray its own, and a story of hope, love, and survival.

Criminal Law