The Kanijugu symbol:

After an evil-hearted tribal leader dies, the shaman directs the stonecutter to chisel the sacred Banimaya symbol into the top of a gave stone. But it's not finished. The shaman then orders the placement of a severe gash, called a 'wor', which means betrayal, which slashes the sacred connection between the world of the living and the afterlife. The gash effectively destroys and transforms the Banimaya into the Kanijugu symbol--a symbol of evil and corruption.  The Kanijugu and the gravestone become mal, mauvais and dépravée, which is French for evil, bad, and depraved.

Bridget explains: “... since the ‘pon’ is the link between worlds, a severed 'pon' dishonors, banishes, and prevents the bad leader’s transition, thereby trapping his evil spirit for all eternity. The legend is passed down as folklore and is based on a person’s heart, or soul. So, if the tribal leader had an evil heart, meaning he was power hungry, greedy, and cruel, and he deceived, cheated, tortured, raped, or murdered people, it’s likely he became enriched with power and wealth, at the expense of others."

“The legend says any gravestone marked with the Kanijugu is also condemned, or cursed, thereby preventing the soul's transcendence. And the evil heart remains interred. We learned that bad leaders were segregated to a plot of rotten earth and kept isolated to ensure no transfer or contamination in the world of the living,” Adama offered.