activation lock

Here is Apple’s information about Activation Lock - and the methods by which it can be disabled:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201365

https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT201441

You may be able to recover your AppleID. If you have forgotten your AppleID or associated password, these can be recovered here:

https://iforgot.apple.com

To recover your credentials, you’ll need access to one of the following:

• Your primary email address mailbox that corresponds with your AppleID
• Any of the secondary/recovery email addresses that should be configured for your AppleID account
• Any of the trusted telephone numbers (fixed line or Cellular/Mobile) that are associated with your AppleID

Unless you AppleID account has not been fully/correctly configured, or has been seriously neglected, recovery of the AppleID and password should not be difficult.

More information about recovery of your AppleID:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201354

More information about recovery of your AppleID password:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201487

When you recover access to your credentials, you would be well advised to log-in to your AppleID account from a web browser - and verify/update any email addresses and trusted telephone numbers:

https://appleid.apple.com

Without having the original owner remove the iPad from their account, the activation lock is not going to be able to be bypassed. If nobody knows what the password is, then the iPad is useless at this point. This is a security feature to deter thieves from stealing devices and without having the proper person remove it, there is nothing that can be done by Apple to get it working again for you. You should get in touch with whoever had the iPad before and have them remove it from their account. As soon as that is done, you will be able to put the iPad on a new Apple ID and get it working again for you.

Then no one can use it.

the activation lock is meant to be a theft deterrent system so there is no work around

Turn off Activation Lock - Apple Support