The "UN" or the national contingent HQ?
The title as presented is attractive clickbait and while the reputation of UNPKO is less than stellar, the day to day command and control , pers state and financial arrangements for individuals (save perhaps UNMOs) and sub-sub-sub units are (or were in my experience) mostly left to the contingents. Considering the nationality (Nigerian), haphazard pay, feeding and quartering is not only unsurprising but expected. Add in the conflict between the Nigerians (who felt snubbed by the lesser role given them in commanding the force) with the Indian force commander and there was probably less than normal communications to higher HQ. In that period of overlap (about one year) during which ECOMAG was wound down and UNAMSIL was stood up and expanded there were several thousand Nigerian troops in country in both forces. Sixteen soldiers are a rounding error for a Nigerian commander (or prince) who, at various levels of command and venality, may only have noticed their absence if his cut of their UN supplied pay was not kicked-back.
If that was such an interesting part of the story, why was it not mentioned in contemporary news stories about the action?