Mohamed Atta
Atta was born on September 1, 1968, in Kafr el-Sheikh, located in Egypt's Nile Delta region. His father, Mohamed el-Amir Awad el-Sayed Atta, was a lawyer, educated in both sharia and civil law. His mother, Bouthayna Mohamed Mustapha Sheraqi, came from a wealthy farming and trading family and was also educated. Bouthayna and Mohamed married when she was 14, via an arranged marriage. The family had few relatives on the father's side and kept a distance from Bouthayna's family. In-laws characterized Atta's father as "austere, strict, and private," and neighbors considered the family reclusive. Atta was the only son; he had two older sisters who are both well-educated and successful in their careers — one as a medical doctor and the other as a professor.
Abdul Attah
Attah was born to the family of Ibrahim the Attah of Ebiraland. He was educated at Achimota College and later studied politics, philosophy and economics at Balliol College. Upon completion of studies, he returned to Nigeria and joined the civil service as an administrative cadet officer, he served in Southeastern areas of Nigeria working at Calabar, Southern Cameroons, Opobo and Ikot Ekpene.