Is there anyway to remove the icloud activation lock?

Sorry, there is not. You would need the assistance of the person whose Apple ID was used to turn on activation lock. https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201441

There isn't a way to bypass it.

Do not purchase it. If a phone is Activation Locked then only the person who set the lock can unlock it - quite evidently that's not the person who is selling it. You are never going to be able to use the phone and there is absolutely no way whatever round that.

There is no way to bypass activation lock. If the previous owner can not, or will not remove the lock, it is useless to you.