iPad activation lock

Here are the Apple support pages that outline the Activation Lock - and the only mechanisms by which it can be turned off:

Activation Lock for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch - Apple Support

Turn off Activation Lock – Apple Support

As you will discover, unless you are the owner of the AppleID that was last used to activate the device, or unless you can secure the cooperation of the previous owner, you’ll not be able to defeat or bypass the Activation Lock. Without documentary evidence that you are the original owner (such as sales receipt showing the serial number), Apple won’t assist - and nobody here will be able to help you.

If you are the owner of the AppleID that previously activated the device - and 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:

If you forgot your Apple ID - Apple Support

More information about recovery of your AppleID password:

If you forgot your Apple ID password - Apple Support

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

Central12 wrote:

Hi, when we bought our iPad it was the first ever apple product we’ve bought and haven’t bought any other a long time after and around 2 or more years ago we somehow did something that locked us out now it asked for the Apple ID and password which we didn’t know and we didn’t know what the iPads email was as the iPad only shows the first letter of the first word of the email and after the @ sign only the first letter so we couldn’t change the password for the email to activate it so that email is long gone with us only knowing the first word by heart and the first letter of the other part by the iPad and we have no other knowledge of the iCloud password or iD what to do?

How to remove Activation Lock - Apple Support