Gunmen abducted at least 45 women and children in an overnight raid on five villages in northwest Nigeria, witnesses said, in the second mass kidnapping in the area within days.

The attackers returned to Sabongarin Damri on Monday and raided nearby villages including Sade, Tungar Tsalle, Tungar Sodangi and Tungar Musa Dogo, in an assault that lasted until dawn, Shehu Musa, the traditional head of Damri, told Reuters by phone late on Tuesday.

The incident followed a separate mass abduction in Sabongarin Damri, in Zamfara state, on Saturday in which 70 people were taken.

"The attackers invaded the communities and kidnapped no fewer than 45 people from the five neighbouring villages, which are less than half a kilometre apart," Musa said.

Armed groups, often referred to locally as "bandits", have killed hundreds and abducted thousands across Nigeria's northwest in recent years. They typically hold captives for extended periods, demanding ransoms for their release.

Security forces engaged the assailants during Monday's attack, killing three, but were unable to stop the bandits from fleeing with hostages and rustling cattle. Civilian casualties were reported, though the number of fatalities was unconfirmed.

"They mostly kidnapped women and children after killing some of our people," said Hassan Dauda, a resident of Tungar Tsalle. "As I'm speaking to you now, some residents have started fleeing their community due to fear."

Separately, Boko Haram militias attacked the remote Kennari village, in the Damasak area of the northeastern Borno state, on Monday, abducting at least 15 people and killing one person, according to a security report seen by Reuters.

Modu Bukar, a resident, said the assailants killed the village head and demanded a 30 million naira ($19,650) ransom for the release of the captives.